Lost in the Shadows
by jerichosbabe
Summary: When the boundary between reality and the supernatural disappears, Chris Jericho finds himself being torn apart from the inside out.
1. The Beginning of the End

Disclaimer: Don't own any of these people.  
  
A/N: Hey everyone, here is yet another fic, that I probably shouldn't be starting, but, hey, I had an idea, and wanted to jump on it, so here we go.  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night, Lost in the shadows. Say hello to the night, Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Molly Holly's lifeless body was currently being lifted from the ground in a stretcher by the medical team. Chris Jericho had a hand over his mouth and was desperately trying to fight back tears. Standing closer to the stretcher was Shawn Michaels, who was screaming Molly's name. In between Jericho and Michaels was Hunter Hearst Helmsley, known better to most as Triple H.  
  
All three of these men were bitter rivals and all of these men had something in common with Molly.  
  
They were all her brothers.  
  
They all shared the same last name, but none used it as their ring name. It was their fault that Molly was on that stretcher at this moment, and they wished that they could simply take away what they had done to her. The crowd was despairingly silent. Unusually silent. Molly's stretcher was wheeled up the ramp, and her three older brothers followed slowly, as if they were marching to their deaths.  
  
Or, marching Molly to her death.  
  
*  
  
What do you think so far? R/R, and Let me know what you think!!!!! 


	2. Chris

Disclaimer: I own no one!!!!!!!  
  
A/N: The site officially hates me. I have been trying to upload chapters to all three of my stories for the past 3 days. I don't know if it will show up when it gets to the main page, but when I preview the document, all of the apostrophes and quotations have weird symbols for them. I don't know what to do about it, and there's no way to get rid of it. It might just be the site, I do not know. I am really sorry about it and hope that you can still read the chapter fairly well. Glad to see that you all have liked the story so far!!! In response to Akila's review, indeed I am crazy!!! Only someone crazy like me would attempt to write 3 stories at one time, when I couldn't really keep up with two. Oh well, the more, the merrier, right? Thought so. BTW, July 15 was my one year anniversary for being an author on fanfiction.net, so yay me!!!  
  
**  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
**  
  
Chris was pacing up and down the aisle of plastic, uncomfortable chairs. His hands were running through his hair as he desperately tried to figure out what had went wrong out there. Of course it was Bill's fault. If that jackass Goldberg hadn't tried to spear him right as Molly was at the top of the cage......Things would have been different.  
  
He wondered how Shawn and Hunter could live with themselves. He was sure ashamed of himself. He remembered how they had all treated Molly. She had deserved none of it. They had been so horribly mean to her. If you would've asked Shawn or Hunter earlier about it, they would have said that they were just being "protective".  
  
To Chris, there was a fine line between protective and obsessively protective.  
  
Molly had proved that they had crossed that line.  
  
Many, many times.  
  
Chris sat down momentarily in one of the chairs. Shawn was sitting across the room from him and Hunter was sitting by the left wall. Chris could see the toll that it was taking on his two older brothers. He imagined his face looked about the same.  
  
Probably worse.  
  
After all, they hadn't seen Molly land with a resounding thud on the ramp up close. Nor did they hear the horrible crack that had followed in person.  
  
They were all guilty of being too over protective.  
  
They were also all guilty of doing it when it didn't matter.  
  
When it came to Molly's life being ruined....they were guilty as charged.  
  
**  
  
Little confusing, I know, but please work with me and review!!! 


	3. Hunter

Disclaimer: Don't own anyone, blah, blah, blah.  
  
A/N: Yay it stopped!!! Now, I can go on with business as usual!  
  
**  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the Shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
**  
  
Hunter watched warily as Chris paced up and down the aisles and finally sat down. He personally felt that Chris was most responsible for what had happened to Molly. If he hadn't let her sign on to that match, then maybe none of this would've happened.  
  
But, somehow, he knew that no matter what, this was bound to happen anyways.  
  
Hunter glanced at Shawn and noticed that he was crying again. Hunter felt that this was stupid. Molly was probably going to bounce back from this; she had bounced back from so many things before.  
  
But, then again, none of those things involved falling about 25-30 feet onto cold, hard steel.  
  
He felt the tears coming to his own eyes. He felt horrible for all the things that he'd ever done to her. He knew that she had deserved none of it. He looked over at his younger brother and saw that he was up pacing again. He wished that he would just sit down. He was making Hunter more nervous by the minute.  
  
Every second that went by felt like an eternity.  
  
It felt like an eternity since he had spoken to her, when in fact they had spoken not over 4 hours ago.  
  
Granted, they had all been screaming and yelling.  
  
He would give anything to turn back time and change things.  
  
But, it wasn't his time to change things anymore.  
  
In Molly's case, it might not ever be his time again.  
  
**  
  
Review please, need feedback!! 


	4. Shawn

Disclaimer: I own no one!!  
  
A/N: All right, the last story to be updated this evening. I hope that you will check out my two other stories, Drop to Zero and Next to Nothing. Now, for another chapter.  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Shawn buried his head in his hands. It had been 2 hours since the accident. Surely the doctors would know * something * by now. Hunter and Chris were taking it hard, it was written on their faces. He wondered what his younger brothers would do when this was over.  
  
He wondered what he would do when this was over.  
  
He wondered what he would do if Molly didn't leave that emergency room.  
  
He wondered what Hunter and Chris would do if Molly never left that emergency room.  
  
He wondered what his parents thought, looking down on them from heaven. He wondered if they were ashamed. He wondered what they were doing, if they even knew.  
  
The entrance to the waiting room from outside suddenly opened. Dave Batitsta jogged in. All of the color in his face was gone. Shawn saw Hunter scowl out of the corner of his eye.  
  
"I came as soon as I could," he said. "What happened? Where is she?"  
  
Shawn didn't speak to him. He personally did not like Dave Batista, and the fact that he and Molly had recently began dating did not help it.  
  
Neither did the fact that he was older than Hunter.  
  
Chris walked over to him and quietly explained what had happened, and what was going on. Shawn sat back. Chris had been the only brother who had encouraged the relationship between Molly and Dave. Truth be told, he was the only one who had really supported her, period. He and Hunter had always talked him into being on their side.  
  
The wrong side.  
  
He just wished that everything would be ok, and that they could go back to their normal lives.  
  
He wished that he had given Molly a break and let up when she'd asked him to.  
  
But, it was a little too late to do the right thing now.  
  
**  
  
Review please!!! 


	5. Dave

Disclaimer: Don't own anyone...usual junk like that.  
  
A/N: For those who were wondering (**cough** **cough** Akila **cough** **cough**) The brothers' ages are as follows: Shawn, 38 (which puts him as the oldest) Hunter, 34, and Chris is 32, going on 33. Molly however has a huge age gap between her and her brothers. She is only 25. So, there ya go. Onward now!!!!!!  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Dave put his head in his hands once Chris had finished explaining everything.  
  
"Jesus, this is all my fault," he muttered into his hands.  
  
"Seems to me that you need to keep thinking that way," Hunter muttered from the other side of the room. Shawn snorted. Chris gave them both a warning look.  
  
"Well, I don't know, Hunter," Dave started "Seems to me that you've done plenty to make Molly's life so much of a living hell that she didn't want to live it anymore." He retorted. Hunter hopped out of his chair in anger. Dave did the same. Shawn and Chris got up to try and play peacemakers.  
  
"That's a load of shit, Batista, and you know it!!" Hunter bellowed. Chris shot Hunter a glare.  
  
"Hunter, not here. We are all waiting to hear about Molly," Chris said. "You can argue and beat the shit out of each other some other time. Not here." Hunter glared right back at Chris.  
  
"You fixin' to stop me, little brother?" Hunter said, mocking him. Shawn glared at him too.  
  
"He's right Hunter, now's not the time for this." Hunter wriggled his way free of Shawn and tackled Dave. Dave threw his best punches and he was pretty sure that he broke his nose, but he wasn't sure. Shawn and Chris disentangled the two and held them at opposite ends of the waiting room.  
  
"You don't even care about her do you Dave?" Hunter bellowed, right before the doctor walked in. He was slightly surprised by the sight, but continued with what he was going to say.  
  
"We have news about Molly," he said.  
  
**  
  
REVIEW!!!!!!!!! 


	6. Chris 2

Disclaimer: Still own no one.  
  
A/N: Glad to know that everyone is enjoying this story so far; hope that this chapter doesn't disappoint!! On to the story!!  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Chris couldn't believe what he had just heard. He released his hold on Dave and stared at the doctor in shock. The doctor made no move to say that he was joking or anything.  
  
"I'm....sorry" he said, then left the room. Chris felt his knees give out. He fell to the floor on his knees. He clenched his hands into fists. He closed his eyes and faced towards the floor. Trying desperately to control the rage that was building inside of him, he began to think of Molly. Tears of rage came to his eyes, and he lost his temper. He jumped back to his feet and began to march over to Hunter. Dave was after him in a second, he was trying to restrain Chris.  
  
"Don't do it, Chris!" Dave yelled at him, while trying to hold him back.  
  
"You son of a bitch!!!!" Chris began to scream at Hunter. "You stupid bastard!!!! YOU tricked her into fighting that match tonight!!! Why did you make me fight in that match?? Why didn't you do it you miserable f-"  
  
"Shut up, Chris!! Shut up before I make you shut up!!" Hunter warned him. Shawn was sitting in a chair, burying his head in his hands.  
  
"Like you shut Molly up, huh? You just couldn't deal with the fact that she had embarrassed you publicly, like you had done to her so many times. You couldn't take it could you?!" Chris screamed. Hunter punched him in the jaw. Chris struggled free of Dave and fought Hunter on the floor. Dave and Shawn managed to pull them off of each other and drug them outside.  
  
"You guys are like friggin two year olds!!!" Shawn yelled, once they were outside the hospital. Chris rolled his eyes at his older brother, while trying to stop his nose from bleeding.  
  
"You're the same as them." Dave muttered.  
  
"What was that Batista?" Shawn demanded.  
  
"Look, let's just drop it, ok? Just drop it. Molly's dead, and all of us arguing and beating the hell out of each other isn't going to bring her back. Let's just go to the hotel and try to sleep, then decide what we are going to do in the morning." Chris suggested. Everyone pretty much agreed and headed to the hotel. Chris wished that he could take back the last thing that he had said to her earlier that night.  
  
"You're gonna lose the match anyways, let's just get this over with."  
  
It was funny how words like that can seem to haunt you later in the day.  
  
Once your sister was dead.  
  
An idea went off in Chris's head, and he began to head back in the direction of the arena.  
  
"Chris, where are you going?" Dave yelled at him, which only made Chris run faster, he had to know what had happened in those moments.  
  
Had to.  
  
Somehow he knew he wasn't going to like what he would find.  
  
**  
  
Please Review!!!!!! 


	7. Hunter 2

Disclaimer: I own no one.  
  
A/N: Nothing real new; check out my other stories and 'The Sweetest Sin' by Lizzie Borden.  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Hunter stared at the tape in shock. He was sure that Shawn and Dave felt the same way. He turned to look at Chris.  
  
"What does this prove? We still don't know-"  
  
"Yes we do," Chris cut him off. He put the tape in slow motion and they all watched it again. Molly climbed to the top of the cage, then waited until Goldberg speared Chris into it, then she jumped. It was barely noticeable when you watched it regular speed, but when you put it in slow motion, it stuck out like a sore thumb. Hunter felt his stomach sink.  
  
"Were we really that bad?" he wondered out loud. Then he turned to Chris, as if looking for support. He was met with a cold stare.  
  
"We were." He said. Shawn was still staring at the screen. No other thought could register through his mind. Dave remained silent, as if he knew something else that he wasn't telling. Hunter rubbed his forehead.  
  
"She was probably stressed out from you being her boyfriend." Hunter said to Dave. "She always knew we were joking around, didn't she?" Chris lowered his head. Hunter began to grow angry.  
  
"Of course she did. She was just tired of putting up with YOUR crap!" Hunter yelled at Dave.  
  
"Can it, Hunter." Shawn said. Hunter glared at him and shut his mouth, but he remained convinced that it was Dave's fault that she was dead, and not his. He knew that Shawn would side with him.  
  
Eventually. 


	8. Shawn 2

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own a thing.  
  
A/N: 21 Reviews, you guys ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OK, now, for another chapter of Lost in the Shadows!!!!!!!  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Shawn laid in his bed and thought for a long time. Chris had been smart to go and take a look at the video, even though none of them had liked what he had discovered. Molly had been tormented by them. Hunter blamed it on Dave, but Shawn knew somehow that Dave was her only source of happiness. Hunter was a jackass anyhow. He never wanted to take the blame even when it was his fault. Chris had been by earlier to ask him if it mattered to him what color casket they gave her. Shawn shook his head.  
  
He was glad that Chris was taking care of that, even though, by right, he should be. Shawn just felt like reflecting now.  
  
So she had jumped from the top of the cage, she hadn't fallen.  
  
Or had she?  
  
The video was so hard to make out, but when you saw it in slow motion, it really did look like she had jumped.  
  
"Maybe I should ask her!" Shawn yelled at his hotel room is anger. "Maybe I should tell her that I never meant to call her a fat-ass and that it was all fun and games when we would gang up on her like that?" He could tell her that all he wanted, but it wasn't going to change the fact that she was dead.  
  
Or the fact that it wasn't really true.  
  
**  
  
REVIEWS???????????????? 


	9. Dave 2

Disclaimer: Don't own anyone, blah, blah, blah.  
  
A/N: We have about 23 reviews I believe so far, and that is freaking awesome!!! Keep reviewing people!!! Keep reviewing!!!! Thank you to all of you!!  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Dave kept his head bowed, and stared at the ground. He felt that the funeral wasn't right. This whole damn day wasn't right. It was supposed to be raining at a funeral. This day was the complete opposite. The sun was out and shining and there wasn't a cloud in sight. He was sweating horribly in this suit. He had to fight back tears as well. He couldn't help but think about the beautiful girl that was lying inside that casket, rotting away.  
  
He glanced at Chris, who was standing next to him. Tears were rolling freely down his face. He glanced across her casket at Shawn and Hunter. Shawn was also crying, but Hunter remained stone still. No emotion was held on his face.  
  
After the priest was done with his sermon, the four men walked up to Molly's casket in unison. They all placed their roses on the casket at the same time, and they looked up at each other. They seemed to be making a pact at that moment, over Molly's grave. The four men retreated and stood on their respected sides. They all stood there, watching as Molly's casket was lowered into the ground. They all walked away slowly, and Dave remembered what he needed to tell them.  
  
"Guys, guys, listen." Dave said. The three brothers turned their attention to him, but Hunter's quickly wandered elsewhere.  
  
"Look, I found Molly's diary the other day. It was....was...in my suitcase. Almost like she put it there." Dave said. Chris looked at him.  
  
"Tonight, meet in my room. We're all going to read this." Chris said, and then walked off to his car. Shawn shrugged and left as well. Hunter glared at Dave. He stalked off towards his car, leaving Dave alone with his thoughts. 


	10. Entry 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these people.  
  
A/N: School sucks, stories go on, and the world turns, yippie. Thanks for all of the reviews, and here is another chapter.  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Chris, Hunter, Shawn, and Dave all crowded around the diary.  
  
"Who's going to read?" Dave asked.  
  
"I'm the best reader here, so I'll do it." Chris said. He grabbed the diary and opened it. "Here goes nothing."  
  
"November 25th  
  
'Most first entries in diaries end up being boring, mine will most likely be the opposite. My name is Molly, and that's that you need to know about me other than the fact that I have 3 older brothers. Chris is the youngest brother and a complete sweetie. I like to believe that he usually has nothing to do with the antics that Shawn and Hunter do. I know that he participates, but that's probably because he has no choice.  
  
Hunter is...well...the most difficult brother to love. Well, truthfully, as of late, they have all been rather hard to love, even Chris, but that is coming up. Shawn is the funniest brother, always cracking jokes when he isn't tormenting me. I like to think that they always meant it in fun and games, but after today, I don't think so anymore....."  
  
Molly walked down the hallway to her brothers' locker room with the Women's Title over her shoulder. She was ignoring the giggles and the pointing that was going on. She slammed the door open.  
  
"What the hell is this?" She yelled, holding up a picture for them to see. They didn't have to look at the picture to know what it was. After all, they had posted them everywhere.  
  
"Uh....a picture of you in a swimming suit with the words, 'Watch out, Free Willy's here.' Written underneath?" Shawn asked. Molly glared at him.  
  
"I wish that you guys would cut this out. You know that this is going to start up the fat ass chants again." Hunter nodded.  
  
"Yeah, most likely." He and Shawn snickered, and slapped high fives. Chris remained silent. He knew hurt when he saw it. Molly ripped the piece of paper up.  
  
"Stop this crap, okay? I'm tired of shit like this showing up all over the place. You stay out of my life, and I'll stay out of your, ok?" Hunter and Shawn nodded in mock seriousness.  
  
.....'I honestly thought that maybe the terrible trio would leave me alone after that, but I guess I should've known better. The next morning, I was in the shower, and they had replaced my shampoo with some stupid substance that I didn't notice the difference. When I stepped out of the shower before writing this, my hair was no longer blond. It was brown. I'm currently waiting for the stylist to do something to help me out. This is definitely the beginning of a war.'" Chris finished.  
  
"What the hell was that stuff anyways?" Hunter asked Shawn. Shawn shrugged.  
  
"Don't know, but I know that things definitely got worse for her after that, though." Shawn said. 


	11. Entry 2

Disclaimer: Don't own anything **tear**.  
  
A/N: Another week, another update, be sure to check out my other stories, Drop to Zero, and Next to Nothing.  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Chris began to thumb through the diary. He figured that most of the little stuff would be written in here, but he wanted her reactions to the big stupid things that they had done. He found what he was looking for and began to read it.  
  
" 'December 4th,  
  
My writing is going to smear because I am crying so hard in pain and frustration. My brothers have done the unthinkable today. I wish that I could declare myself no longer related to them, but I doubt if it would help.  
  
I'm sitting here next to my boyfriend, Dave Batista's hospital bed and writing this. At this point the doctors are hoping that he'll make it through the night. For those curious, my brothers have put him here.  
  
My brothers, all three of them, have hit him with a car, and serious injured, if not killed him.  
  
If he dies......Then they will be very sorry. I have an action in mind, but if they should ever happen to find this, my plan would be ruined, and that's not fair to me. I won't say, but I'll mention that it will make them very sorry for all of the things that they have put me through.  
  
Either that, or they will glad to get rid of me.  
  
Tomorrow will be the Judgement Day. We will find out what happens from there. Until then...I'll probably cry myself to sleep tonight.'"  
  
Chris stopped. He was staring at the page and trying to decide f he wanted to read it to everyone. Shawn and Hunter noticed that Chris had stopped reading, but only Dave recognized that look. Molly often had that look when she had realized that these men had done something else to her. Dave got up to read over Jericho's shoulder. Shawn and Hunter followed suit.  
  
Dave read aloud. " 'God, if you can read thoughts or words, kill my brothers for me. Make them feel the pain, not me. Not anymore.'" Dave finished and looked at the bottom of the page.  
  
Drops of dried blood were lying on the page, and a razor blade was hidden in a niche of the page. Chris closed the diary.  
  
"I think that's enough for one night." He said. Shawn and Hunter were a little puzzled by Chris' reaction, but headed off to their rooms, giving Dave death glares on their way out. Chris was staring at the wall. Dave remained seated on the bed.  
  
"You know what is horrible about that?" He asked. Dave didn't have time to answer. "She got that blade from me. A long time ago when she worked at some stupid fast food place that she needed a blade to open the boxes. She told me a while after she left that place that she still had one left, and she asked if I wanted it back. I told her to keep it." Chris came back to reality.  
  
"She began to cut her wrists to ease the pain, but when that no longer worked, she tried suicide." Dave said. "I should've known what those were. I should've pushed her about that to tell me the truth......" he muttered.  
  
"Wait, you knew she was cutting her wrists?" Chris turned to face him.  
  
"I had my suspicions, but I didn't want to pry about it."  
  
"How did you find out?" Chris asked. Dave turned his gaze out the window for a moment.  
  
"Promise not to kill me if I tell you?" Chris nodded. Dave opened the diary, and pointed to an entry.  
  
** 


	12. Entry 3

Disclaimer: Don't own anyone.  
  
A/N: Check out This story again one Sunday or Monday. Also, check out Next to Nothing and Drop to Zero.  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Chris picked the diary up from the bed, and read the entry that Dave had pointed out silently to himself.  
  
'October 23,  
  
Last night was the best day of my life. Dave and I have cemented our love for one another. I'm sure that no one is dense enough to not know what that means. I hope that if any of my brothers ever do read this, they see this entry and go nuts. I wish that I could see their reaction. IT would be priceless.  
  
I'm too happy to get angry now. I'm going to cuddle up next to my love now.  
  
Toodles,  
  
Molly.'  
  
Chris closed the diary again. He looked at Dave. He said nothing for a moment, as if he was contemplating what to say to him.  
  
"You slept with her?" Chris asked. Dave looked across the room at him and nodded. Chris leaned back in his chair.  
  
"Good. At least she got to experience some kind of happiness in her life." Chris said. He looked out the window at the pouring rain and the first rays of sunlight. It had been a very long night. He was tired of digging into his sister's past.  
  
Yet he was still compelled to know what had pushed her over the edge.  
  
Or when she had gone over.  
  
**  
  
Sorry it is so short, had to hurry. Please REVIEW!!!!!! 


	13. Don't Close Your Eyes

Disclaimer: Don't own any of these people....  
  
A/N: Next update will be next Sunday because of stinkin school. Enjoy the chapter for now, and spread the word!!!  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
//What you doing out there in the night time?  
  
Won't you call me on the phone//  
  
Chris laid in his hotel room bed for a long time before sleep claimed him. He was thinking about all of the things that he had read about that night. He was wishing that Molly had a second chance at this. He wished that he would have been kinder to her. He wished about a lot of things.  
  
//Your mama can't solve your problem,  
  
When's daddy ever gonna get home//  
  
Shawn was tossing and turning throughout the entire night. He never slept a wink. He had thoughts of Molly in his head, and they wouldn't go away. They wouldn't let him sleep. He thought about a lot of things that night, and he vowed to change them.  
  
//So you think you're a little bit wild,  
  
In the middle of the suicide//  
  
Hunter stared at the ceiling of his hotel room. He wondered what Shawn and Crhis were doing. He grabbed his bottle and took another swig of his new best friend....Jack Daniels. He swore to himself that this was going to do him in. He was going to get fired or killed after this. He was going to wind up in hell. To quote Mel Gibson from Lethal Weapon, 'But I don't give a fuck.'  
  
//Don't close your eyes  
  
Don't close your eyes//  
  
And he truthfully didn't.  
  
//Don't sing your last lullaby//  
  
Dave was the only one in the group asleep, but he was joined by Molly in his dream. He was remembering the first time they met, up until the last time that they had spoken. He was reliving every moment of it.  
  
//No one there to hold you,  
  
No one is your friend//  
  
He could almost feel her next to him. Almost sense her lying next to him in his sleep, but he knew that it wasn't true.  
  
//You live life up and down now,  
  
Nightmares on your brain//  
  
Chris was still awake at 5 in the morning. He had to get up at 8, so he didn't have a whole lot of time left for sleeping. He was still thinking of Molly and how she had been as a kid.  
  
//Another lonely way of hanging round,  
  
Don't you take it falling down, no, no//  
  
She'd had blond hair just like him when they were kids. They weren't as mean to her when they had been kids. He wondered if ghosts could inflict pain.  
  
//Hold on, hold on tight,  
  
I'll make everything all right//  
  
If they could, all four of them could be in some serious trouble.  
  
//Wake up, don't go to sleep,  
  
I'll pray the lord your soul to keep//  
  
Especially Chris Hunter and Shawn.  
  
//Don't close your eyes,  
  
Don't close your eyes//  
  
Chris shook his head and rolled over to look out the window. He saw a family leaving the hotel with a little child in tow.  
  
//Don't sing your last lullaby//  
  
Chris sat up straight as an arrow when he saw that child.  
  
//Don't close your eyes,  
  
Don't close your eyes//  
  
The child looked just like Molly.  
  
//Don't sing you last lullaby//  
  
And the child had waved at him when they had taken off.  
  
**  
  
Review PLEASE!!! I'll give you a cookie... 


	14. A Giggle is Worth a Thousand Words

A/N: Well, surprise!! I should be studying for my Health test, but there are 24 useable hours in every day, aren't there? Anyhow, here is a surprise update!! Check out Drop to Zero because it is done done done WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! OK. Now, I have some shocking news for the Jerichoholics out there, unless you read Drop to Zero's or Next to Nothing's chapter already!! Here is the shocker:  
  
JERICHO IS GOING TO BE A DADDY!!!!!!  
  
In real life, I'm dead serious. On the Orlando Jones show that aired last night, he said that he and his wife were expecting a child. It's going to be a boy, and of all the things that you could name your child, he is going to name him Ash. Ash from the Evil Dead movies. My brother has the first Evil Dead movie, and I'm going to go back and watch it to make sure that there IS an Ash on that movie, because I sure as hell don't remember an Ash on that movie, but I really don't have that good of a memory, either. My first thought was that he named him Ash from like the Pokemon kind of Ash. Which I couldn't figure out, but then he explained it, and I still don't understand why he would name his kid Ash. Oh well, not my kid. So, Congrats to Jericho and Best Wishes!!! Hope that you enjoy the chapter.  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Shawn woke up to the sound of his hotel room phone ringing.  
  
"What the fuck...." He muttered, and grabbed the phone.  
  
"What?" He yelled into the phone.  
  
"Shawn?" It was Chris.  
  
"What the hell do you want man, I'm trying to sl-"  
  
"Never mind your fucking sleep man!" Chris hollered into the phone at him.  
  
"What happened, and it better not be that you had a bad dream." Shawn growled.  
  
"No...I wish it was a dream." Chris said. He stared down at Hunter again. "I wish to God it was a dream."  
  
"What the hell happened, then Chris, tell me where you are!" Chris swallowed.  
  
"Hunter's room. Wake Dave on your way over, will you?" Chris asked him. Shawn sighed.  
  
"Whatever, I'll be there in a few." Shawn told him, then hung up. Chris hung up his cell phone. He sat down on the bed, next to Hunter, and picked up the bottle of pills lying on the ground.  
  
"You dumbass, Hunter. You took the easy way out. Couldn't suffer like the rest of us, could you? Had to take the easy way out....." Chris muttered. He suddenly looked up. He looked around the room. He started to shake his head.  
  
"Crazy....you're losing your fucking mind......" Chris muttered, when he heard it again.  
  
A girl's high pitched giggle sounded through the room.  
  
**  
  
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	15. A Glimpse of What is to Come?

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
A/N: Well, another day, another update. Hope you enjoy!!!! BTW, I am planning a sequel to Drop to Zero right now, so pass the word around!!!  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
**6 MONTHS LATER**  
  
Chris leaned back in the plastic white chair for a moment. His eyes were sunken, as if he hadn't slept in days, and he was extremely thin. His hair was also thinning out; no longer was it th long, flowing blond mane that we all love, it had thinned out to the point where he almost looked dead. His skin was as pale as the white walls and floor that surrounded him. The doctor that was sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the room sighed and took off his glasses.  
  
"Are you all right, Chris?" The doctor asked. Chris didn't respond. He simply stared at the floor. He was reliving that moment. The doctor leaned back in his own chair, and stared at Chris for a moment.  
  
"Chris, do you want to call it quits for today?" Chris looked up at him distantly. Tears were crawling towards his eyes.  
  
He nodded his head. "Yes." The doctor escorted Chris back to his room, which was also white. The walls of his room had to be padded, not plastic. Chris walked over to his corner and sat down. After about 2 hours, the lights in the room, as well as the rest of the facility shut off so that the patients could sleep.  
  
But Chris would not sleep.  
  
He chose this particular corner because he knew that they would be able to see him. They could always see his feet, and maybe his legs, but nothing more from the corner. They didn't know, but they guessed.  
  
They guessed that he wasn't sleeping.  
  
Yet, they couldn't prove it to the superiors, so they could give him no drugs to make him sleep.  
  
Chris sat in the corner and waited until he knew that the nurse had passed by on her checkup. Then, he leaned back in the corner, and reached behind the padding. He brought out a razor blade. The same razor blade he had found in Molly's journal, which now, seemed like so long ago.  
  
He raised his shirt up a little, to reveal his stomach, which had so many scars and cuts on it, you could barely tell it was skin. Chris brought out the paper towels he had talked somebody into bringing him. He slowly lowered the razor blade to his skin. He couldn't sleep, or it'd find him. It'll kill him.......  
  
He couldn't sleep.  
  
And, for the ninth consecutive night, he didn't.  
  
**  
  
Please, please, please Review, and let your friends know about this story!!! Have them review too, pretty please!!! 


	16. The Crazy Person in the Loony Bin

Disclaimer: Don't own anyone.  
  
A/N: I have been a very busy bee.....Updating, updating and more updating!!! You all should be very proud of me!! Check out Next to Nothing and that's just about it. Enjoy the chapter and please review!  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Chris looked up as Shawn entered Hunter's hotel room. Dave was right behind him. Both men's jaws almost literally hit the floor when they saw him.  
  
"What the fuck happened?" Shawn muttered. Dave walked inside, saying nothing, just not believing what he saw. He would not believe it. Could not believe.  
  
Chris stared at Hunter's open eyes for a moment longer, then closed them with his hand.  
  
"Somebody needs to call the police." He said quietly. Shawn nodded and went off to do that. Dave sat down on the bed next to Chris.  
  
"I can't believe this, I mean first Molly, then Hunter? What the hell is up with your family, man?" Chris simply shrugged.  
  
"I have no clue, but whatever it is, I hope it leaves me out of it." Chris said.  
  
**Back to 6 Months Later/Present Day**  
  
Chris walked silently into the lunch room and sat down on the far side of the room. He swore to God that the only thing in this whole damn place that had any color was the food. He knew that he was paranoid about sleeping. He knew what had happened.  
  
They didn't.  
  
Nor would they believe him.  
  
Chris looked up as someone sat down across from him. "Must be someone new, everyone thinks I'm a freak, even in a loony bin....heh....that's always comforting." Chris thought to himself, as he looked up to see who had joined him. A young woman, maybe around his age with long, jet black hair was staring intently at him.  
  
She didn't look like the type to be crazy.  
  
Hell, before he stopped sleeping, neither did he.  
  
Looks can be deceiving.  
  
"New here?" Chris asked, trying to make a conversation.  
  
"Yeah." Chris smirked.  
  
"Welcome to hell. Let me be the first to congratulate you on isolating yourself from everyone else except from me. Good job!" he said sarcastically. The woman smiled a little.  
  
"What are you here for?" she asked him quietly. Chris finished chewing as he thought about this for a moment.  
  
"I'm in this lovely place because I seem to think that my dead sister will kill me in my sleep. Which is why I look the way I do. I haven't slept in....." Chris began to count up the days. "About nine days, give or take."  
  
"How are you able to stay awake?" she asked him. Chris held her eyes.  
  
"That's my little secret." He paused. "What about you, what are you in for?" The girl with the dark hair giggled.  
  
"I can see...certain things...like a person's deepest darkest secret, or sometimes....even a dead person." The girl said. "Silly me!! We forgot to tell each other our names!!! I'm Victoria, what's your name?" Chris looked at the girl for a moment. The one person who actually decides to say something to him is actually a complete psycho. My, how his luck was just great lately. Oh well, might as well be nice, could be the only person besides that quack who he ever got to talk to for the remainder of his days.  
  
"My name's Chris."  
  
**  
  
Yes, I know that it's short, please review!!! 


	17. Those Bastards at the Sanitarium

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.  
  
A/N: Well, here is another update. Hope that you like it and please, please, please REVIEW!!!  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Chris finished his lunch with the girl who had introduced herself as Victoria. She gave him someone to converse with. Someone to talk to, who didn't want to know how he had become crazy, or what all he did.  
  
She just wanted to talk.  
  
That was what Chris needed.  
  
He was still not sleeping and he was coming up on the 12th day of just that. The doctor whom he had been talking to about what happened 6 Months prior to this, had his suspicions, and was planning on making him sleep, whether he liked it or not.  
  
On the thirteenth day of not sleeping, things came to a head.  
  
Chris sat in the corner of his room, right under the camera. He was waiting for the nurses to pass so that he could keep himself awake. The nurse stopped and peered in through the window. Chris couldn't help himself. He waved at her. A few seconds later, his door was opened. Chris saw his doctor and two other supervisors of this hellhole by him. The three of them walked in followed by four orderlies. Chris looked up at them. He knew what they were here for. He knew that they had finally figured him out. He slowly got to his feet and leaned against the wall.  
  
"Chris, we know you're not sleeping-"  
  
"Well, gee, what was the first indication of that one, doc?" Chris asked sarcastically. The doctor glared at him.  
  
"You're going to sleep tonight, Chris, whether you like it or not."  
  
"Oh really? How's that going to work?" The doctor held up a small pill.  
  
"This pill can knock you out for eight hours, Chris. You either take it right now, and we watch you sleep, or, we drag you down to the silent room, force it down your throat and watch you sleep. It's your choice." The doctor told him. The orderlies crossed their arms over their chests to look buff. Chris looked more buff than they did, and he hadn't slept in almost two weeks.  
  
"I'm not going to take that pill, doc. I can't go to sleep."  
  
"Why not Chris?" The doctor asked in fake sympathy.  
  
Chris shook his head. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."  
  
"Put this pill inside his mouth and make him swallow it. Then drag him down to the silent room. We'll watch over him from there." The doctor said. The four orderlies nodded and one took the pill. They all began to walk towards him. If Chris had been getting his rest, he probably would have been able to fight them off efficiently. Then again, if he had been sleeping, he wouldn't be in this predicament at all.  
  
Chris struggled valiantly against the orderlies, but he simply was no match for them. His lack of sleep was hindering his defense abilities. The orderlies got him to swallow the pill. Forcefully, of course, they almost had to shove their arm down his throat to get him to swallow it. The orderlies dragged him down the hallway to the silent room. No one really understood the name until they had been in it.  
  
Something inside the room, took away your ability to hear anything that was said, or anything that you were saying. People could scream as loud as they wanted to, it would echo all the way through the building, but the person screaming would not hear a thing.  
  
It was almost like being deaf.  
  
The orderlies tossed Chris into the padded room. He could feel his body slipping away from him. He was going to sleep.  
  
"I hope you know what you've done to me!" Chris yelled with his last bit of energy, lying on the floor. He couldn't hear himself, but he knew that they would. "I hope you know that you've killed me!!!!" Chris screamed. The other occupants of the sanitarium could only imagine what he meant. Victoria sat down on her cot and prayed that she would see Chris once again.  
  
"Don't kill me Molly," he whispered as unconsciousness seized his body.  
  
**  
  
Please REVIEW!!!! 


	18. Uncalled For

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone.  
  
A/N: Once again, another update is here!!! No school today, Woo HOOO!!!!!!!! I am still adjusting to my contacts, so once again, if there are a lot of typos, just ignore them for me.  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
The doctors watched as Chris tossed and turned on the padded floor of the silent room. They studied him through the various cameras in the room, and each one portrayed the same look.  
  
Chris was reliving what had happened to lead him up to this point.  
  
He was definitely dreaming about all of it. The main doctor was sure of that. He wondered how much he had told that girl since she had gotten here. There was only one way to find out. He had her called into the observation room with him.  
  
When Victoria walked into the room with all of the televisions in it, she didn't know what to think. When she saw what was on all of them, she felt anger.  
  
"Hello Victoria, how are you doing today?" The doctor said pleasantly.  
  
"Why are you doing this to him? Why are you making him sleep?" Victoria asked him in a desperate voice. The doctor's smile faded.  
  
"I can see that you are smarter than you appear to be. I'll cut the crap. What did he tell you about his past?"  
  
"Nothing. He didn't tell me anything about why he was here." Victoria told him. She wasn't fond of the idea of lying to the doctor, but she felt something for Chris. She didn't know what it was, but she thought that she actually might love him, and she would suffer the same fate as him, if she needed to.  
  
"You're lying."  
  
"Yes I am, but I'm not going to change my mind on what I said. He told me nothing about why he was here." Victoria said.  
  
"Do you want to end up in the silent room with him? Do you want to have to suffer through his dreams of his past? Is that what you'd really like? He claims that he's going to die if he sleeps, well, he's been asleep for three days already and he's not dead yet."  
  
"Your keyword right there is yet." Victoria told him.  
  
"Tell me what I want to know, and I will leave you alone." The doctor told her.  
  
"No, what you're doing to him isn't right, and it isn't professional."  
  
"How the hell would you know?" The doctor sneered at her. Victoria remained silent. "That's it, you and Chris are going to have something in common now." He said, picking up a phone. "John, you can come in now."  
  
The man the doctor called John walked in with a small pill in his hand.  
  
"Take the pill, or we will make you take it." Victoria glared at him. She stood up and grabbed the cup of water and the pill from John. She shoved the pill in her mouth and downed it with water. John grabbed her and picked her up. He carried her to the silent room as the medicine already began to work on her. He opened the door and simply tossed her in on the floor. She landed not far from Chris. With her last bit of energy, she grabbed his hand and held onto it as she began to sleep.  
  
**  
  
Please, please, please, REVIEW!!!!!! 


	19. Hallucinations

Disclaimer: Don't own a thing.  
  
A/N: Well, another speedy update, and another news flash:  
  
Jericho's baby was born!!!  
  
Ash Edward Irvine was born on September 24th, 2003 at 8 pm. He weighed at 8lbs. 9oz. and was 22 inches long. They are supposed to have pictures up in the forums at www.fozzyrock.com Check it out!!  
  
CONGRATS Y2J!!!!  
  
**  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
**  
  
Chris tossed and turned as he slept. His dreams were horrible, and he desperately wanted to wake up, but the pill was preventing him from doing so.  
  
He didn't want to see the nightmare again.  
  
He didn't NEED to see the nightmare again.....  
  
*  
  
Chris stood outside in between Shawn and Dave. All three men had on black suits. The day was a miserable, rainy day. All three had their heads bowed and the rain was running down their neck.  
  
Today, Chris and Shawn buried another sibling.  
  
Today, they all buried Hunter.  
  
The days of the wake at the funeral home had passed dismally slow. Family members, friends and fans all came by to offer condolences. Vince and the rest of the McMahon's showed up. On RAW the previous night, there had been a moment of silence for him.  
  
Chris never told Dave or Shawn what he had heard in Hunter's room that day. What would it prove? They'd simply shrug it off and think that he was crazy or something.  
  
Maybe he was going crazy.  
  
That was the last thing that he needed.  
  
*  
  
Chris, Shawn and Dave all went to their separate homes after the funeral. Chris went home and pulled out Molly's journal. He thumbed through to read what her very last entry had been.  
  
"May 13th," Chris blinked. He checked his watch.  
  
"Chris, you're going crazy, the day does not say that. It doesn't. You just upset with all that has been happening." He told himself.  
  
May 13th was today. Chris shook his head again.  
  
"It's not possible!!! Not possible!!" Chris shouted to his empty house. Nonetheless, curiosity got the better of him.  
  
"Today I watched from a distance as Hunter was buried. It was kind of gratifying to see him die. I hate to say this, but it was also fun to kill him." Chris stopped reading. He slammed the diary shut and threw it against the wall.  
  
"It's not there!!! You're hallucinating!!!! It is not there!!!!!" Chris screamed to himself. He buried his head in his hands.  
  
"Why is this happening?"  
  
**  
  
Please review!!!!!!! 


	20. The Journal

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people in this story.  
  
A/N: Yup, I should be studying, but I'm not.....oh well. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!! (Hugs all of the people who have reviewed. "I love you guys!!!!")  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Chris didn't sleep the night that he had read the "new" entry in Molly's journal. He brought his knees up to his chest and rocked back and forth, staring at the journal as if it was going to grow a mouth and swallow him.  
  
"It's not there. Not there. Can't be....Molly's dead. It has to be Shawn or, or Dave or someone playing a joke on me...." Chris muttered.  
  
But not even Shawn would stoop that low.  
  
Hell, If Hunter was still alive, HE wouldn't even stoop that low.  
  
Chris kept rocking back and forth, and almost jumped out of his skin when the phone rang. He willed himself to calm down then he answered it.  
  
"Hello?" he asked. There was silence on the other end.  
  
"Hello?" He asked again. Still silence.  
  
"Shawn, Dave, is that you?" he asked.  
  
".....read...the....journal...." a voice whispered into the phone.  
  
"Who is this?" Chris demanded. He was starting to freak out.  
  
"Molly....who else would it be?" Chris slammed the phone down.  
  
"You lie!!! Molly is dead!!" he screamed to the empty room.  
  
"Read the journal!!!" Molly's voice screamed over the phone that he had hung up.  
  
"Oh Jesus..." Chris said, wanting to sink into a hole and die. He reached over and grabbed the journal. He opened it to the page that he had started reading. The words had changed.  
  
"May 13th  
  
Watched Hunter die today. I was very satisfying to see the look he had on his face before I killed him. I'm contemplating killing the others as well...Think maybe I'll start with Shawn. Shawn and Hunter always seemed to be like peas in a pod. Monkey see, monkey do, what I see is monkey poo. Maybe then I'd kill Dave. He was kind to me, yes, but still.....the way he betrayed me like that.....I don't know how forgiving I am. I'm thinking along the lines of Lizzie Borden grabbed an axe, and gave her mother forty whacks, and when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one. Finally, there's Chris. Good, ole' sweet loveable Chris. Maybe if he rights his wrongs I'll forgive him. Maybe. To be, or not to be..that is the eternal question, isn't it???"  
  
Chris stopped reading. The question 'isn't it?' was written all over the rest of the page. With trembling hands he closed the journal and set it on the bed.  
  
"She's gonna kill us. She's gonna kill all of us." He muttered.  
  
**  
  
PLEASE REVIEW!!!! I'm BEGGING YOU!!!!! 


	21. Victoria's Secret

Disclaimer: I only own the story idea. Don't steal it from me!!!  
  
A/N: A BIG hug to all of my reviewers (which ain't that many, let me tell you). Thanks a ton to Lizzie Borden and KrystalBlazeJerikor (Akila) skittle-xtreme and Devina1980. You guys ROCK!!!!!!!!!  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
The doctor sat in the observation room, watching Chris toss and turn as he had been doing for the past week. The doctor honestly didn't know how long the drug would affect his sleeping, but from his immense lack of sleep, he judged that it would be a while yet before Chris woke up.  
  
"Doctor, we have the background information on the girl." John the orderly said, walking into the room.  
  
"Bring it here." He said, not taking his eyes from the screen. John handed him the manila folder, and walked back out. The doctor opened the file and grimaced when he saw the first page.  
  
Victoria was not psycho after all.  
  
Victoria was FBI.  
  
The doctor slammed the folder shut and threw it across the room. The papers scattered everywhere. When Victoria woke up, she was going to shut him down forever.  
  
The answer was clear. He couldn't let her wake up. He couldn't let Chris wake up either. Chris would cause problems. Inexcusable problems. They would have to be taken care of soon, whoever Victoria was working with was going to want her to check in from time to time, and if she didn't do that then they would get suspicious.  
  
Something had to be done. 


	22. Shawn's Problem

Disclaimer: I only own the idea, don't steal it from me!!!!!  
  
A/N: 45 Reviews! Not bad, not bad at all. For those who read & REVIEW, thanks a ton. For those who read it, like it, and DON'T review, well, thanks anyways. Here's the next chapter!!!  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Dr. Brown watched the monitor in the observation room. It had been 10 days. Ten days since Chris had gone under. He had been asleep for the full ten days. To be quite honest, he knew that the drug should have worn off by now. He was beginning to get a tidbit concerned. Technically, the drug should have worn off after the first five hours. But then, the hours had turned to days, and now the days are slowly progressing into weeks. At first, he had only thought that it was from his two-week lack of sleep.  
  
Now, he was beginning to wonder if that was really the case.  
  
*  
  
Chris, Shawn, and Dave all walked into a small coffee shop before RAW was scheduled to start. They were all talking about what matches they had and about how some people ended up getting some really awesome storylines. They ordered and sat down.  
  
"Well, guys, I have some news to break to you." Shawn started, once they had gotten their coffee.  
  
"Lemme guess-You're PREGNANT!!!" Chris yelled, getting some people to turn their heads and look at them.  
  
"No, you moron," Shawn said, slapping Chris on the side of the head. Dave simply shook his head. "I actually wanted to tell you guys that I'm planning on retiring after the match tonight." Chris' and Dave's jaws dropped.  
  
"What?" They asked in unison.  
  
"Yeah, I'm getting a little too old for this gig. I think that it's time to call it quits." Shawn said.  
  
"Are you serious?" Chris asked him. Shawn nodded. Dave and Chris shook their heads.  
  
Little did Chris or Dave know at the time, that Shawn would never get to have his final match.  
  
He wouldn't live that long.  
  
**  
  
PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	23. Talk About Odd

Disclaimer: I only own the idea, nothing more, and nothing less.  
  
A/N: 50 Reviews. WOW. Thanks so much to those who take the time to review. Hope this chappy doesn't disappoint!!!!!!  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Dr. Brown paced around in the observation room. Both Victoria and Chris were still asleep. It was Day 11 for Chris. Dr. Brown brought the receiver of the phone up to his mouth and ordered John into the room. John soon appeared before him.  
  
"Sir, you paged for me?" John asked.  
  
"No bullshit, John. What did you give to them to make them sleep, and why in God's forsaken name haven't they waken up yet?" Brown demanded.  
  
"Probably because the drug administered was barbiturate, sir." John replied.  
  
"Barbiturate? You gave them that?" Brown's voice was shaking with fury, then, all of a sudden, his features lightened. "You're brilliant!!! With the dosage they took, they'll most likely be dead, before they wake up. If they wake up!!" Brown said, getting a good laugh out of all of that.  
  
*  
  
Chris sat in his locker room and taped up his wrists. He was trying think of a new word to use that night in his promo. He wasn't having much luck. Dave was in the shower at the current moment, after which, he would have to begin suiting up, and Shawn was supposedly in the weight room, lifting some more before his match with Goldberg.  
  
Chris leaned back and laid down on the bench he was sitting on. He felt his back pop a few times on the way down. He closed his eyes, as he got lost in his thoughts for a moment. All of a sudden he was hearing a little girl beginning to sing.  
  
"Monkey see, monkey do, all I see is monkey poo." He heard the little girl say, then it was followed by a horrible scream and splattering sound.  
  
Chris shot up off of the bench. He looked at the clock. He'd fallen asleep. Ten minutes had passed. Chris remembered the saying, and the scream. He knew it wasn't Dave, since he was singing from the showers. Chris bolted out the door and down the hallway to the weight room.  
  
By the time he got there, paramedics were already inside. His mind was screaming no, but his eyes were proving him wrong.  
  
Shawn was dead.  
  
**  
  
PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!! 


	24. Struggling with the Odds

Disclaimer: Don't own anyone!!!!!!  
  
A/N: 53 REVIEWS!!!!!!! Rock on!!!!! I know that I've been gone for a while, but I'm back baby, I'm back!!! All right, so, here is the newest chapter to Lost in the Shadows!!  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Chris stood in the hospital morgue. He was staring down at the disfigured body lying below him. Dave was standing a distance behind him. The doctor had left a few minutes ago, to let Chris and Dave spend some time with Shawn before he was going to be buried. The ceremony was going to be a closed-casket ceremony.  
  
Closed-casket because there wasn't a whole lot left to show.  
  
Chris knelt on the floor and looked at what should've been Shawn's face, but was a bloody, massive heap. The little girl's singing went on and on in his head. He remembered what he had read about himself in Molly's journal.  
  
He needed to find the error of his ways.  
  
Judging on how quickly the people around him were dying, he knew he was going to have to find his error soon.  
  
The doctor said that Shawn had apparently lost his balance of holding the dumbbells, and they had crashed into his face, cracking his skull. The amount of weights on the dumbbells was much more than Shawn normally bench- pressed.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Shawn. I'm so sorry." He whispered. The little girl in his head began to sing again. Chris turned to face Dave.  
  
"I have to show you something before it's too late." Chris told him. "I hid it from Shawn, but I'm not about to hide it anymore." Dave nodded and followed Chris out of the morgue.  
  
*  
  
Victoria slowly began to open her eyes. Her head hurt like hell, and she couldn't hear anything. Things slowly began to piece themselves back together for her. Chris in the silent room, she being brought in for questioning. She hoped that the bureau was checking up on her. She turned to look at Chris.  
  
He seemed to be struggling with something in his sleep, either that...or...  
  
Or something seemed to be choking him.  
  
**  
  
REVIEW!!! Please? 


	25. Clueless

Disclaimer: Don't own anyone used in this story.  
  
A/N: Well, here's another chapter for all of you to peruse and use as you will. Hope that you review and enjoy.  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Victoria stumbled over to Chris to attempt to wake him up, but as soon as she got over to him, he was sleeping peacefully again.  
  
*  
  
"Make sure you kill them both when Chris wakes up. I'll notify you when it's time." Dr. Brown told John.  
  
*  
  
Chris sat in the hotel room with Dave, as he read what had been written in Molly's diary. Chris paced the room, while Dave read to himself. He was starting to show signs of paranoia. He jumped at anything and everything, and he was beginning to lose sleep. He wanted Dave to tell him it was just a figment of his imagination, or better yet, he wanted to simply wake up and roll over in his bed to slam his alarm clock on the floor and call his sister up for a chat.  
  
But, none of that was going to happen.  
  
"Judging in the order that our names are written, it sounds like I'm the next one on her list." Dave said.  
  
"But, it doesn't make sense. What did you do to piss her off?" Chris asked, sitting on the bed next to him. Dave lowered his head.  
  
"I cheated on her." Chris looked at him.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You heard me, I'm not going to say it again."  
  
"Why would you-"  
  
"I was drunk, it was late, I was in a bar, saw a pretty girl, and well, one thing lead to another. The next morning, I woke up and saw the girl in the bed with me and I knew that I had just flushed my relationship with her down the toilet. But, she forgave me. I don't know how or why.." Dave trailed off. Chris studied his hands. He was raking his brain for the answer as to what he had done wrong to Molly and couldn't find the solution.  
  
"What did you do wrong that you need to right?" Dave asked him. Chris shook his head.  
  
"You know as much as I do." Chris said.  
  
**  
  
Please Review, I know that it was short, but I promise another update soon!!! 


	26. Another Day, Another Dead: More Things R...

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the thoughts in my head....  
  
A/N: Well, it's only about 4 days to Christmas!!!! I figured that I would try to give everyone a little early Christmas present by updating. A belated happy birthday to...myself.....yeah...Anyways, now I will shut up and simply let you all enjoy the chapter, like I hope you always do!  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Chris and Dave had talked about many other things that night, reminiscing about many of the "old days" when everyone had been alive and happy, and there was no immediate threat of death. At midnight, both men decided to call it quits for the night and each turned in to their own bed. Chris fell asleep almost immediately.  
  
~Lizzie Borden grabbed an axe...~  
  
Chris shuddered in his sleep. The dream was one that he'd been having for a while. He was in a room with padding on the walls and floor. In his dream, he would be sweating, sitting back on his legs and screaming as loud as he could..but no one would hear him. Not even himself.  
  
~And gave her mother forty whacks....~  
  
He was screaming and holding a body of a woman he didn't recognize. The woman was dead and her blood was smeared on his chest. Tears were pouring down his face as he kept screaming and screaming. He would lean in to the woman and put is face next to hers. Her long hair would be tangled within his fingers. Although his face was hovering near hers, he could never get a clear view of who she was. He thought that it was his wife. Ex-wife, in a manner of speaking. She was dead. Had been for about a year. She had died about a month prior to Molly's accident. She had been killed in a car crash by a drunk driver. Chris had promised himself that if he ever found out who had been the driver of the other car, he would kill them. The person who was the driver of the other car had been drunk.  
  
~And when she saw what she had done....~  
  
The woman who Chris was holding reminded him so much of Stephanie with the long dark hair, the body shape....everything. Chris began to cry softly in his sleep. Stephanie had been his wife, Stephanie....McMahon. Vince had been crushed after the death of his daughter, as Chris had been. As if losing your wife was bad enough, the autopsy showed that Stephanie had been pregnant. He had lost a wife and a child in the same day. The shock still hadn't settled within him. And now, with everything that had happened to Molly, he barely remembered which end was up and which one was down.  
  
~She gave her father forty-one....~  
  
Chris shot up out of his bed like a bat out of hell. He grasped at the end table to find the lamp. He clicked it on and let his eyes adjust.  
  
"Dave?" he asked to the open room. Dave was nowhere to be found. Chris flipped the covers back and walked over to the bathroom. The door was open and the light was off. Chris walked back into the room with the their beds in it, and that's when he noticed the blood on the sheets.  
  
"Oh no..no...NOOOOO!!!!!" Chris tried to scream, but he had lost his voice. He noticed a note on the pillow. Trembling, he walked over to the pillow, and looked at the note.  
  
Written in blood were the words: Lizzie Borden grabbed an axe, and gave her mother forty whacks, and when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.....  
  
Chris began to scream now. He backed away from the bed and fell on his own. Like a little kid he hid under the covers and trembled horribly.  
  
*  
  
Victoria brought Chris's head into her lap. He was sweating horribly and muttering now. She had a feeling that he would be waking up soon. At least she hoped.  
  
**  
  
Please Review!!! 


	27. Drugs, Drugs, and MORE Drugs?

Disclaimer: Still own nothing  
  
A/N: Well, this chapter is when the story takes a drastic turn. I promise that things only get more confusing from here on out. I apologize for not having stuff about Stephanie in the story earlier. I'm writing this straight from head to computer so there are tons of things that need to be fixed and adjusted. So, for my sake, we'll pretend like you knew that all along, ok? I knew that you'd understand. By the way, I'm going to keep updating on just this story for a while, because things are really starting to take off for this story in my mind. Next to Nothing has kind of stumbled on a roadblock for the time being, but I promise to have something up on it before my Christmas break ends!!  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Victoria held Chris' head in her lap while she brushed his hair away from his head. His face was flushed and he was sweating horribly. She kept mopping his forehead with her shirt. All of a sudden, she had the feeling that she had seen this before. This whole scene. Or perhaps...just Chris. She leaned her head back against the padded wall and closed her eyes.  
  
{"Here, try some of this...It's pretty good...." her voice floated through her thoughts. Pictures began to show up in her mind to go with the thoughts. She was sitting next to none other than Chris himself. She had never recognized him before. She was handing him some sort of drink. She had no idea as to where she was in this thought.  
  
"Let's go upstairs.." Chris' voice floated through her dream. She felt herself smile.  
  
"I bet HE has something that could make that even better." She heard herself say again, making more questions enter her mind.  
  
"Ask him." Chris purred to her.}  
  
Victoria opened her eyes. She remembered only pieces of what had happened after that. Before, she had never known who the man was, but now....now she knew. She returned her gaze to Chris, flashes of what had transpired that night playing in her mind as she did so.  
  
She didn't recall what drug she had asked for, but she knew it wasn't what she had gotten. They had both had enough drugs on that one night alone to kill both of them. It was a miracle they were both alive....and healthy...well....something had made Chris the way he was now. He was wasting away. He was no longer the man that had done so much. He was a shell to that man. She wondered if he knew what she had done to him that night.  
  
She remembered that they had shared the needle that night. He'd given her the drug first, saying that whatever the drug was, it would loosen her up a bit. Later, before things had become really heated, she remembered drawing some out for him. To this day, she didn't know what the drug had been, but she knew that by the time that she had taken it, she hadn't cared. She had been drunk, mixed in with some cocaine or heroin, plus whatever had been in the syringe, presumably more heroin.  
  
It was truly a miracle that they were alive. Victoria returned her focus once again to Chris' shivering, sweating form. She wished that she could know what was happening to him at that moment while he was unconscious. He was so helpless, so vulnerable....  
  
*  
  
Chris sat in the master bedroom of his house, still dressed in the suit that he had been wearing for Dave's funeral. The funeral had been the day before this, perhaps even longer. Time had become a stranger to Chris Jericho.  
  
Something else, though, had become his new best friend.  
  
He slowly got the strength to stand up again, and peeled off the coat he'd been wearing. He undressed and went into the shower, thinking that maybe, somehow, taking a shower would now work miracles for him and he wouldn't have to suffer anymore. When he returned out to the bedroom, he noticed two things on his bed that he would have sworn on his life were not there when he went in. One was Molly's diary, the other.....was a small black box. Chris pulled on some sweatpants and trudged over to the bed. There was a pink Post-It note on the cover of Molly's journal. It read:  
  
//Find the error of your ways....use what's in the box......see...the.....error....//  
  
Chris began to tremble and little beads of perspiration began to show up on his forehead. He knew what was in the box without even looking at it. It was his prison cell and salvation at the same time. It was his craving and his disgust. HIS heaven and hell. It had enslaved him since.....since Stephanie's death. He carefully opened the box.  
  
It contained a syringe and several shots of heroin.  
  
HIS syringe and heroin.  
  
HIS wrongs.  
  
Chris looked at the note on the journal then looked back at the syringe. Apparently, shooting up this time was supposed to show him the error of his ways. He picked up the rubber cord and tied it around his bicep. He prepared the syringe, and within minutes had given himself that little piece of heaven and hell that he needed.  
  
Although this time was more like hell than heaven.  
  
~  
  
He was sitting in a chair staring at a television. It was showing him at Shawn's new house. He saw Hunter there as well. He knew what was happening. They were offering him drinks. Lots of them by the looks of it. He vaguely remembered this....He remembered taking a couple of beers, and then waking up in his bed the next morning with a headache out of this world.  
  
This.....thing.....whatever it was, was apparently going to show him what had happened that he didn't remember....what he needed to see and how he needed to "right his wrongs".  
  
~  
  
Chris opened his eyes and looked up to see Victoria looking down at him. His eyes were bloodshot, and his ribs were poking out of his skin. He tried to tell her something but could not find the strength to do so. Coughing seized him and he fell unconscious before the spell had ended.  
  
The two time periods were about to hit head on.....  
  
Chris's past is catching up with him...  
  
**  
  
Sorry I have to be so vague about this...Check out the next chapter!! (Don't know when it will be up, but make sure that you see it. Some pieces will start to fall together in this thing.)  
  
Please REVIEW!!!!! 


	28. Stephanie's Fate

Disclaimer: Yup, you guessed it. I don't own anything.  
  
A/N: Well, those of you who read all of my stories will notice that Next to Nothing's final chapter has been posted. As well as the first chapter of the sequel to Drop to Zero, entitled Someday. Other than that, not a whole lot of new info, other than the fact that I finally got my permit on Monday, which means I can start learning to drive and all of those other wonderful things..Yeah...Anyways, heeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssss the next chapter!!  
  
*  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*  
  
Chris looked at the TV screen with mixed anticipation and fear. He watched as Shawn and Hunter offered him drink after drink. After a while, women showed up, not to mention another guy, who looked like he was packing some serious drugs. Chris peered at the screen. He never remembered any of this happening before. But he definitely recognized some of the people that were there. The woman who was sitting next to him....was Victoria, the girl in the mental institution with him. He was seeing things with more clarity than ever before.  
  
The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit together.  
  
He watched as the "tape" fast-forwarded through the rest of the party, and began to play again when Chris was climbing into his car. He was watching in fascinated horror as he climbed into the car. The tape swapped views, and he was now watching Stephanie. Molly was talking to her.  
  
"You know, Chris has been cheating on you." Molly said bluntly. Stephanie looked up at her.  
  
"I beg your pardon?"  
  
"Chris. He's cheating on you. Probably as we speak." Molly said to her.  
  
"Not Chris, he would never do anything like that to me." Stephanie told her, dismissing the whole thing with a wave of her hand.  
  
"He would.....and he is." Molly said. Stephanie didn't want to believe her, but she sounded so sincere. Stephanie got up and grabbed her keys.  
  
"I'm going to prove that you're wrong. I'll go over to Shawn's and you'll see that he's not doing anything that would jeopardize our relationship." Stephanie said, then walked out the door. Molly let an evil smirk come across her face once she left.  
  
"That'll teach Chris to screw with me." Molly thought. Chris stared at the screen.  
  
"Payback, it was all about payback for those damn pictures we posted." Chris thought. He vaguely remembered yelling at Molly for something like this. The view changed to a split-screen. Chris was driving along the long road back to his house already. Stephanie was leaving the house to go to Shawn's. Chris knew what was going to happen. He felt his heart wrench with the thought of what he had done. The tape sped up to where the wreck actually happened. He was driving on the wrong side; she swerved to miss him and ran off the shoulder, straight to the bottom of the valley next to it. The tape seemed to skip and showed it over and over. Chris stumbled out of the chair and put his hand on the television screen.  
  
"It's not real. That didn't happen...didn't happen." He said to himself, trying to understand why this was being shown to him. Trying to figure out why he was the one who had ultimately screwed up his life. Why he had caused his wife's death, and not some drunk stranger. He began to cry and rock back and forth. Suddenly, he was in his bedroom again, holding the syringe in his hand, the dose of heroin wearing off. He was still crying. He knew what righting his wrongs was going to take. He just wasn't sure he had the fortitude or the balls to pull it off.  
  
He was going to have to commit suicide.  
  
His crying messed up his vision, and he stumbled everywhere. His heart was breaking in two all over again. Images of he and Stephanie were playing in his head. Their life together. He grabbed the rope that was in the closet, that he didn't even realize had been there. The noose was already made. Chris let the tears keep falling. He couldn't let himself live-not after what he had done. He stumbled out into the hallway, and tied the opposite end of the rope around the banister of his two-story house. He put the other end around his neck and tightened it. He felt like throwing up, he was sobbing so hard. He wanted the pain to end. He wanted to be with Stephanie again. He stood up on the banister and looked down. The doorbell to the front door sounded through the house, but Chris didn't hear it. He closed his eyes and jumped.  
  
*  
  
Chris opened his eyes and shot up out of Victoria's lap. He began coughing and grabbing at his neck. When his brain was satisfied that he wasn't dead, and that he didn't have a rope around his neck, he fell back into the corner. He'd killed her...He'd killed Stephanie...But he was confused at the same time.  
  
Was he dead?  
  
Had he succeeded in killing himself?  
  
How had he gotten here?  
  
There was no time to even think about an answer to those questions, the door to the silent room was thrown open, and men with bullet proof vests and huge shield ran in. Chris read the letters FBI before blacking out again. His final thought before blacking out was about how he thought those letters seemed so familiar.  
  
**  
  
I know it's a little short, and still confusing, but please review if you liked it, (or hated it). And be sure to check out Someday and the final chapter of Next to Nothing.  
  
Peace JB 


	29. Don't Speak

Disclaimer: Don't own a thing.  
  
A/N: Yeah, yeah, I know that it has been quite a while since I have updated, but I am back and that is all that matters, now isn't it? Well, I must say that writer's block is taking it's toll (Not to mention homework) on me. So, if this chapter doesn't turn out to be as good as you think it should've been, let me know. I'm working on getting the flow back. BTW, the song for this chapter is "Don't Speak" by No Doubt. Here we go.  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
//You and me//  
  
When Chris woke up again, he was in a room that was white from top to bottom and had not one single item in it. The line between reality and the supernatural had been blended together in Chris' mind. He no longer knew if he was living in the past, the future, or right where he was supposed to be. Time had become a stranger. Chris slowly sat up, and noticed a mirror on the wall at this point. He got up and walked over to it.  
  
//We used to be together//  
  
Staring back at him was a ghost. A shocking reflection of what he had become. He stared at the hollowed eyes and thinning body he saw before himself. He moved his hand up to touch his face, as if to confirm that was what he looked like. The darkness that filled the eyes of his reflection startled him.  
  
//Everyday together always//  
  
As he watched his own reflection, the image of himself in the mirror began to change. He became fuller, his hair was once again vibrant, his face was filled out; his eyes were smiling. He watched as he became the man that he had once known. Stephanie appeared in the far corner of the mirror. He whipped his head around, and sure enough, she was standing not far behind him.  
  
//I really feel//  
  
His eyes filled up with tears as he saw her again. She was not the beautiful person her reflection showed. She had cuts all over her face, and a huge gash in her forehead. Chris allowed the tears to come pouring down his face.  
  
//I'm losing my best friend//  
  
"I'm so sorry," he whispered. She looked at him, and gave him the comforting, warm smile that she had given him many, many times before. Yet she remained silent.  
  
//I can't believe this could be the end//  
  
"Am I dead? I mean....you're here...." Chris trailed off. Stephanie came closer to him.  
  
//It looks as though you're letting go//  
  
"No," she finally responded. "You're not dead. Yet, you're not alive either. Whether you live or die will be decided in the next few moments." Chris gave her a puzzled look.  
  
//And if it's real, well I don't want to know//  
  
"Everything that has happened to you, from Molly's death, to Hunter's, to Shawn's, to Dave's, mine, and yes, even your own. It's all been real. Or so we've been led to believe here."  
  
//Don't speak,  
  
I know just what you're saying//  
  
"In this place, this purgatorial place, there is no such thing as time. One millennia could pass with the blink of an eye without anyone even noticing."  
  
"So, this is...in a manner or speaking.....heaven?" Chris asked her.  
  
//So please stop explaining,  
  
Don't tell me cause it hurts//  
  
"No, this is the place for second chances. Since time is of no matter to us, second chances are able to be granted," Stephanie said. "However, deals must be made and sacrifices are a must. Please forgive me Chris, this is where you might get angry with me."  
  
//Don't speak,  
  
I know what you're thinking//  
  
"I made a deal that if you were somehow forced into this purgatorial state, that we would both get a second chance at life. We would pick up the day before the party and the accident, without any knowledge that any of this had happened." Chris nodded.  
  
//I don't need your reasons  
  
Don't tell me cause it hurts//  
  
"However, since Molly, Hunter, Shawn, and Dave's deaths were your fault, that tended to complicate the plan."  
  
"Whoa, whoa, wait. How were those deaths my fault? I thought that Molly committed suicide, and her ghost was killing us?" Stephanie looked at him.  
  
"That is what your mind, and my help has led you to believe."  
  
//Our memories//  
  
Chris looked at another wall, adjacent to the one with the mirror on it, and watched as he shook the cage with Molly standing on top. He saw himself shoving the pills down Hunter's throat. He saw himself follow Shawn into the weight room, offering to help him, then dropping the dumb bell on his neck. He saw the last death, Dave's with gruesome clarity. Things made perfect sense. He was a murderer. And he hadn't even known it. He turned back to Stephanie.  
  
//They can be inviting//  
  
"Why.....Why did I do this?" He asked. This time, Stephanie's eyes watered.  
  
"Because I asked Him to make you. That was my sacrifice. Your family for our second chance." Stephanie said to him.  
  
//But some are altogether frightening//  
  
"You made me kill my own family, think that it was a ghost, try and commit suicide, then go through six months of a living hell in an asylum because you wanted a second chance? That's not how life and death is supposed to work!! When you die, you are dead, there are no second chances."  
  
"Why not? Because you refuse to believe it could be?"  
  
//As we die both you and I//  
  
Chris looked at Stephanie. The ever-familiar feeling of betrayal rose up from the pit of his stomach.  
  
"Why would you sacrifice my family for this?"  
  
"Because you agreed."  
  
"What?"  
  
//With my head in my hands, I sit and cry//  
  
Chris watched as he saw himself lying in bed, talking presumably to himself. When, in fact, he was praying.  
  
"God, I don't ask for many things in my life, but I'm begging you on this one. I'd give anything to have her back. I'd sacrifice my family for her." He said. Chris looked at Stephanie. He almost believed what he had said.  
  
//Don't speak,  
  
I know just what you're saying//  
  
Until he saw the smirk on her face from watching.  
  
//So please stop explaining,  
  
Don't tell me cause it hurts//  
  
"Lies. All of it. You lie, they lie, and we will never get that 'second chance' that you keep talking about!!" Chris screamed at her. "None of this is even taking place. You, my dear, are dead. I realize now that it is my fault that you are, that's something that I've got to deal with. The point is, you're dead, and I'm not. And all of this second chance bullshit is something that isn't physically or even faithfully possible. Whoever you've been listening to needs to get his facts lined out. You've been lied to......and so have I....."  
  
//Don't speak,  
  
I know what you're thinking//  
  
Chris looked down at his hands and suddenly everything made perfect sense.  
  
//I don't need your reasons  
  
Don't tell me cause it hurts//  
  
If he got his second chance, great, if he didn't......  
  
//It's all ending, I gotta stop pretending who we are//  
  
Oh well.  
  
//You and me//  
  
He raised his hand, balled it into a fist and ran for the mirror. He smashed his fist through the glass, his hand getting cut and torn apart. Stephanie screamed.  
  
"I'm sorry, Stephanie, forgive me." He whispered.  
  
//I can see us dying//  
  
All of a sudden, a choking sensation came over him. He felt as if there was a noose around his neck. The black room faded out to that of his stairwell. He struggled against the rope that held him a mere three inches from the floor. The room faded out again to back into the silent room. An FBI agent was checking his pulse. Chris was still choking.  
  
//Are we?//  
  
The room finally stopped upon emerging to his house again. He vaguely heard the doorbell sounding. He let one hand down to search through his pockets for his knife. The room began to spin.  
  
//Don't speak,  
  
I know just what you're saying//  
  
He grabbed it and flipped it out. With his last strain of energy, he swung his arm up, aiming for the rope and hoped for the best.  
  
//So please stop explaining,  
  
Don't tell me cause it hurts//  
  
The rope sliced in half and he fell to the ground with a sickening thud.  
  
//Don't speak,  
  
I know what you're thinking//  
  
He coughed and gasped as the air again entered his lungs. He rolled over on the floor to help his body out. The doorbell continued to ring, but he continued to ignore it. Tears spilled out of his eyes. He was alive. And, for the first time in a long time.....that felt wonderful.  
  
//I don't need your reasons  
  
Don't tell me cause it hurts//  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Review please!!! Let me know what you thought!! This IS NOT the last chapter!!! There IS more to come, I promise!!! 


	30. SURPRISE!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
  
A/N: Well, I would be watching the Royal Rumble right about now, but my brother had to go and be an asshole.....Man, it feels good to get that out.....Anyways, after about an hour of mental cursings and other various things, I calmed down enough to come on here and add to my story. I must say I was a little disappointed at only getting two reviews for the last chapter, but both reviews were so wonderful, I think that it might compensate. (Thank you KrystalBlaze-Jerikor, your review really boosted my day...until the Royal Rumble....) Anyways, on we go, trudging into parts unknown, even by the captain. Here's another chapter of Lost in the Shadows for you.  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chris continued to lay on the floor, coughing, gasping in the air that he had not, until now, known was so valuable. Small tears formed in the corners of his eyes. Partially from his coughing; the other part from simply being alive. He pulled the noose off from around his neck. Slowly he slid up to a sitting position. His head began to spin again.  
  
"Chris? Are you in there? I forgot my key. Can you please come and unlock the door?" A female voice said from the other side of the door. Chris looked at the door and rubbed his neck. Where the hell was he at? His house, obviously, but who was on the other side of that door? He winced and tried to stand up. He made it to his feet somehow and leaned on the stairwell for support.  
  
"Chris? Hello? It's getting a little wet out here. A little cold too. I hope you're not in the shower!!! Chris!!" The voice said again. Chris made his way slowly, slowly to the door. He passed a mirror on his way to the door. He paused to look in it. He looked as healthy as he had in the mirror where he had last seen Stephanie. Except his hand was now bleeding. He continued on to the door and unlocked it.  
  
Standing right in front of him was a soaking wet, very angry looking Stephanie McMahon.  
  
"How long have to been there listening to me yell your name? Do you not know how cold it is out here? I hope that you don't think that this is funny-because it's not." Stephanie yelled at him, while he stood there staring at her in shock. "What? What's up with that look? You can drop the act, Chris, I'm going to be mad at you anyways.....What did you do to your hand?" She asked him, finally noticing his bleeding hand. She looked at him. He still was staring at her as if she was the first female that he had ever seen in his entire life.  
  
"Chris, honey, are you okay? You're acting very strange....." She walked in the door and set her stuff on the floor inside the house. She noticed the rope hanging from the banister and the sliced noose on the floor. She also noticed the trail of blood on the floor, presumably from his hand. She turned to him with questioning eyes. She was still met with that shocked look on his face.  
  
"Chris, why won't you answer me?" She asked him. His mouth began to form a word. His forehead wrinkled in puzzlement.  
  
"...I think I'm gonna throw up." Chris said quickly before running for the bathroom. Stephanie followed him. Chris' mind was going insane.  
  
"She was in the purgatory place!! I saw her!! I saw her die!!! Why is she here? Why am I so confused???" he thought to himself. He bolted through the door and to the toilet and barely made it in time. He felt Stephanie grab his hair and pull it out of his eyes. Her hands were shockingly cold against his fevered skin. He flushed the toilet and she grabbed a washcloth and wetted it. She pressed against his head, concern evident in her eyes.  
  
"What's wrong, Chris?" She asked him again. He coughed and sipped some water from the faucet. He turned back to face her.  
  
"You would think I was crazy if I told you." He said to her. She looked at him.  
  
"You say that a lot, and I never think that you're crazy. Tell you what, I'm going to go and change into some dry clothes, then we'll talk about this. Are you sure you're not just sick?" She asked him. He looked at her.  
  
"I don't think so." He told her. She walked out of the bathroom and Chris turned back around to face the mirror. He raked a hand through his hair as he peered into the blue eyes staring back at him.  
  
"What the hell is happening to me?" he asked his reflection.  
  
Just then he remembered about the heroin.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
REVIEW PLEASE!!!! Pretty Please? 


	31. The Sweetest Thing

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.  
  
A/N: Well, here's another quick update. BTW, check out Someday, which is finally updated!! (And also, those reviewers who like to email me from time to time, my email address has changed. It is now fozzy_fanatic@hotmail.com )  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
//My love, she throws me like a rubber ball,  
  
Oh, oh, oh, the sweetest thing//  
  
Chris hurriedly rinsed his mouth out with water and dashed out of the bathroom and took the stairs two at a time to get to the bedroom. He stopped in the doorway, and peered around in the room. He looked on the bed, which was where he thought that he had left it, but there was nothing on there but Stephanie's clothes. He grabbed his stomach, as if it was hurting and closed his eyes.  
  
//But she won't catch me, or break my fall,  
  
Oh, oh, oh, the sweetest thing//  
  
Why in the hell was everything not making sense? Why was he seeing these things? Was he dead? Nothing was making sense anymore. He straightened up and walked inside the bedroom, halfway towards their bathroom, where the shower was running. He sat down on the bed and held his bleeding hand to his chest. Despite the pain that it was giving off, he still had managed to forget about it. A loud crash sounded from inside the bathroom. Chris got up and bolted to the bathroom.  
  
//Baby got blue skies up ahead  
  
But in this, I'm a rain cloud//  
  
"Stephanie?" he yelled. There was no response. He threw open the shower curtain to see her body, lying in the tub in an awkward manner. "Stephanie!!" He screamed. He leaned into the shower and grabbed her head, gently lifting up on it. He brought back his hand and saw nothing. He picked her up and sat her unconscious form on the bed. He ran back and grabbed a cold washcloth.  
  
//You know she wants a dry kind of love,  
  
Oh, oh, oh, the sweetest thing//  
  
"Stephanie, please, oh don't do this to me again. Please be okay. God, why is this happening? Why don't I understand???? Why is everything not the way you showed me?" He screamed. He pressed the cloth to her forehead. After a few minutes, she began to stir. He broke out in tears without realizing it. He pulled her into a hug.  
  
//I'm losing you  
  
I'm losing you,  
  
Ain't love the sweetest thing?//  
  
"Chris? Did I? I fell in the shower again, didn't I?" she asked him. He said nothing, but kept hugging her to himself. She gently pulled back, and noticed that he was soaking wet. Her brow was weaved with concern. He was crying. Surely not over her?  
  
//I wanted to run, but she made me crawl,  
  
Oh, oh, oh, the sweetest thing//  
  
"Chris, it's okay...I'm okay." She told him, trying to reassure him. He simply continued to cry. He buried his head in her bare shoulder. She moved and lifted his head to look at him. She seemed to debate something, then she slowly leaned in towards him. He closed the distance with speed as their lips met for a kiss. It only lasted a few seconds, then they broke apart. It wasn't enough for Chris just yet. He missed her, and damnit, he wanted to let her know that he sure as hell appreciated her. What was up with the breaking apart?  
  
//Eternal fire, she turned me to straw,  
  
Oh, oh, oh, the sweetest thing//  
  
"Let's bandage up your hand." She told him. He looked at his hand, which was dripping blood on a light brown carpet. He sighed and nodded.  
  
//I know I got black eyes,  
  
But they burn, so brightly for her//  
  
"All right."  
  
//I guess it's a blind kind of love  
  
Oh, oh, oh, the sweetest thing//  
  
*  
  
//I'm losing you,  
  
I'm losing you//  
  
Stephanie taped the wrap on and they both sat on the bed in an awkward silence. They had both since changed into dry clothes. Chris studied his hands. He was confused as all hell at this point. Nothing was making sense. He was sure that she didn't see the noose or the heroin, since they were both gone by the time he dashed up the stairs.  
  
//Ain't love the sweetest thing?  
  
Ain't love the sweetest thing?//  
  
"How did you hurt your hand?" She asked him. He shrugged.  
  
//Blue-eyed boy meets a brown-eyed girl  
  
Oh, oh, oh, the sweetest thing//  
  
"I got mad and punched out a mirror over at Shawn's house." Chris said. Stephanie nodded. That explained nothing to her, but she let it slide for now. She'd figure out what she wanted to know later. She looked at Chris again, and noticed that he was looking at her quite intently.  
  
//You can sew it up, but you still see the tear  
  
Oh, oh, oh, the sweetest thing//  
  
"What? Is there something wrong?" She asked him.  
  
"Completely opposite, everything is exactly the way that it is supposed to be." He said.  
  
//Baby got blue skies up ahead  
  
But in this, I'm a rain cloud//  
  
Chris leaned in slowly and Stephanie met him halfway. Their kiss was simple again, but Chris deepened it by pulling her closer to him. The first-aid kit they had used to patch up his hand was shoved off the bed in lusting frustration.  
  
//Ours is a stormy kind of love  
  
Oh, oh, oh, the sweetest thing//  
  
Cries of desire lingered long into the nighttime hours as Chris struggled to keep his sanity about him. He was trying to prove to himself that this was real. God knew that the emotions running through his head and the feelings running through his body were real. He wanted to know if his surroundings were real though. After the hell that he had been through, he was hoping it was. He hoped against hope that it was.  
  
//The sweetest thing,  
  
Oh, the sweetest thing//  
  
After this, he didn't think that he could ever bear to let Stephanie go again. He didn't think that he would be strong enough for that.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
(Song from this chapter was "The Sweetest Thing" by U2)  
  
Please Review!!! 


	32. Chris Continues to Lose It

Disclaimer: Don't know why I bother with this. I'm never going to own the WWE.  
  
A/N: Well, here is yet another update since I am about to crumble down and cry with boredom. Plus, this particular chapter has been in my mind and the Chris muse has been begging me to type it. Would YOU say no to Chris Jericho? I didn't think so.  
  
//Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the shadows,  
  
Say hello to the night,  
  
Lost in the loneliness//  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chris opened his eyes slowly and let them adjust to the light that was flowing through the window. He stretched his arms up over his head, and looked at the head that was lying on his chest, the body obscured by covers. He let a smirk crawl up his face when he saw how peaceful she looked. He gently lifted her head and slid out of bed from under her. He slowly made his way to the bathroom to take a shower. He let the water run for a few minutes, letting it get warm, then he stepped in and closed the curtain.  
  
He simply stood there for a few moments, allowing the water to run all over his body, then he started to clean himself up. He was about to begin washing his hair when his hands began to tremble. The shower had suddenly become very cold. He reached down and turned up the hot water. Then he proceeded to lather up some shampoo. He put his hands on his head and began to massage his scalp.  
  
For a quick moment, his hands were in chains above his head and it was raining on his head. Then, he was back to lathering shampoo in his hair. Chris blinked several times, but it did not happen again. He felt two small arms begin to snake around his waist. There was a quick flash to where he was back in chains again, but where the arms were, a whip was striking. Chris whimpered with pain.  
  
He spun around in the shower, and came face-to-face with Stephanie, who looked very surprised at the shock on Chris' face. She also looked down at her arm to notice blood on it. It had come from Chris' side. She moved to touch him again, but he backed up, into the shower spray further. He was acting like a small, scared child now.  
  
"Chris," Stephanie said, softly. "Chris, I'm not going to hurt you, what happened to you?" Chris shook his head in response to her question. "Please answer me. What happened? Why are you bleeding?" Chris opened his mouth to try and form something audible. All that came out was a hoarse:  
  
"I don't know."  
  
With that, Chris lost all the strength in his legs and collapsed to the base of the tub. He pulled his knees to his chest and began to cry.  
  
*  
  
"I don't know what's up with him. He hasn't been himself all day. I don't think that he's going to be able to come, Shawn. Sure, that sounds fine. He'd probably enjoy that. All right, see you later." Stephanie said, then hung up the phone. She walked back into the bedroom where Chris was wrapped up in seven different covers because he said it was so cold. Even with all of those covers on, you could see he was still trembling.  
  
"Chris, honey," Stephanie began, walking over to him. "Please tell me what's wrong. I want to know how to help. Please let me." She sat on the bed next to him. He looked at her. His trembling intensified for a moment, then subsided altogether. He seemed to be debating something in his mind.  
  
"You can't possibly understand." He said to her. "You would think I was crazy if I told you what was going on." Stephanie looked at her hands for a moment, then looked back up at him. She bit her lip.  
  
"I've been hiding something from you for a while." She said. Chris jerked his head back around to look at her. He already knew what she was going to say. "I don't know how else to say it. You're going to be a father." She said. Chris got a look on his face like he was going to cry, and closed his eyes. History was repeating itself.  
  
"Are you happy, I mean, are you okay with this?" Chris asked her.  
  
"Oh yes, I'm very happy about it. Are you?" Chris nodded his head and smiled a genuine smile.  
  
"Yes, I'm happy about it. I'm very, very happy about it." He said. The doorbell began to ring.  
  
"I'll get it, you don't worry about it." She said. Chris nodded, but he didn't trust anything for a moment. If he was seeing things, then how in the hell was he getting scars from things that he only saw? He began to tremble again.  
  
"Hey Chris." A familiar friendly voice said. Chris looked up. Standing in the doorway was Shawn, Hunter, Molly, and Dave. He tried desperately to hide the shock on his face. They all filed in and sat in various places in the room. Stephanie re-entered and sat next to Chris.  
  
"I know that you haven't seen your family in a while, so I invited them over. You were supposed to go over Shawn's tonight, but that's not going to happen now." Steph said. Chris felt another tremble go through his body.  
  
"So, what's up, little bro? What's the deal with this getting sick crap?" Shawn asked. Chris shook his head.  
  
"I have no clue." He said, and suddenly felt as if his head was going to explode. Why were all of these people here? They were dead. All of them.  
  
He had killed all of them.  
  
Chris had a violent tremor go through his body at that thought. The bedroom faded out for a second to the unknown place where rain was still raining on him. He was on his knees, with his hands behind his back this time. There was a sloshing sound of someone walking towards him. He heard a whip crack again, then felt the pain on his back.  
  
Then, he was back under the covers with everyone crowded around him. He felt woozy and kind of nauseous. He parted a way through them and bolted to the toilet, but nothing came out of it. He merely dry heaved. He could almost picture their reactions without looking at them. Everyone exchanging glances, the same unspoken question-What the fuck was that?  
  
The room began to spin and faded out to black and he was sure that he had passed out. Then, in a flash, he was back in the place with the rain and the mud, and the whip. He was still on his knees. The sloshing sound was getting louder. The whip continued to crack and the pain was becoming unbearable. He fell to the ground, covering his side in mud. He let his body go limp. Two boots appeared in front of his face. They merely stood there, as if waiting for something.  
  
Two strong arms pulled Chris to his feet, but his head was still down. Chris knew the two men who were holding him up. They were Shawn and Hunter. He'd been picked up like this before, and he knew how they held. The person with the boots seemed to squat down to look at him. Chris noticed the person was holding a whip as well. Only this whip was equipped with several spike things along the length of the whip. The person extended a gloved hand and tilted his head to look at them.  
  
The person was Stephanie.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Please Review!! 


	33. Things Get a Little Weirder

Disclaimer: Still own nothing.

A/N:  Well, nothing new to report here………Thanks to those who have reviewed!!  Spread the word!!  Check out Someday, if you haven't already.  Here we go.

_Say hello to the night,_

_Lost in the shadows,_

_Say hello to the night,_

_Lost in the loneliness._

The person standing in front of Chris in the rainy, muddy place was Stephanie.  Chris began to take in more of his surroundings.  He finally noticed that the muddy area where he was, was fenced in.  He took into account what he was wearing.  Camouflage pants, and no shirt.  That at least explained the whip hurting so much.

_Stephanie had on a very similar outfit.  She was wearing camouflage pants as well, with a dark gray sweatshirt.  She was running the whip over her hands gently.  She seemed to be contemplating something.  Chris suddenly felt tired.  He could still feel the blood pouring down his back._

_"Now, Chris, why are you closing up like this?  You know that never helps anyone."  Stephanie said.  Chris said nothing, and let his head hang.  Stephanie waited for a few more seconds._

_"Fine, have it your way.  Hold his arms out to his sides and clear his back."  She ordered, and walked around behind him.  Chris was trying to wake up his senses so that he could try and get away before she could hit him with the whip.  He was so confused as to what the heck was going on………All he knew was that he **did not** want to be hit with that whip, which at this point, was beginning to seem kind of inevitable………  He heard Stephanie bring the whip back to get ready to hit him, and squeezed his eyes shut, getting ready to brace the pain.  He heard a clap of thunder, and he opened his eyes._

He was lying on his bed, with the covers piled on top of him.  Stephanie was sitting next to him.  She was stroking his hair, which was bathed in sweat.  He opened and closed his eyes a few times, trying to figure out what exactly was causing the uncomfortable pain in his back.  He reached an arm behind him to rub his back momentarily.  When he brought his hand back in front of him, he wasn't entirely surprised with what he saw.

His fingers were covered in blood.

Stephanie gasped at the sight of blood on his hand.  Shawn, Hunter, Molly, and Dave all crowded around to see what had happened.  They saw the blood on his hand.  The covers were removed to find a red stain on the white sheet underneath him that seemed to be growing.  Everything began to move in slow motion for Chris.

He felt himself being picked up and moved, but he had no energy to call out and struggle against it.  His mind seemed to be swimming.  Everything began to fade in and out of the muddy scene to his house.  _He felt the ship cracking against his skin, and the spikes on the end digging into his back.  He felt them being ripped back out and the process being repeated.  He cried out and began to try and struggle against the people holding him._

"What's wrong with him??"  Stephanie screamed.  Shawn, Hunter and Dave all tried to hold him down.

"I don't know, but I think that we need to get him to the hospital, and fast!"  Shawn growled.  Shawn watched as a scratch appeared on Chris' arm, and began to bleed.  _"What the fuck?"_ he thought.  But now wasn't the time for thoughts like that.  They needed to get Chris to the hospital.

They needed to figure out what was wrong…………

*~*~*~*~*

Sorry it was short, my mind is locking up on me right now.  Please review, and check out Someday!


	34. Which One is Right?

Disclaimer:  Still own crap.

A/N:  Thanks to those who reviewed, and please spread the word about the story!!!  Let everyone know how much you love it!!  (Or hate it…either one works for me…..)

_Say hello to the night,_

_Lost in the shadows,_

_Say hello to the night,_

_Lost in the loneliness._

Chris kept struggling against all of them so that they finally had to set him down.  Stephanie ran to go and call the ambulance.  Dave, Shawn and Hunter all tried to hold him down, while Molly paced the hall.  Chris was watching all of this in a faint way of slow motion.  He closed his eyes for a few moments.  When he reopened them, he wasn't in pain anymore, and no one was hovering over him.  There was no one around him.

He slowly sat up, and began to look around.  He heard voices coming from downstairs.  He reached behind him and felt his back.  The only thing that he felt was the cotton of his t-shirt.  He slowly stood up and grabbed onto the banister for support.  Shawn walked through the entryway and looked up at Chris.

"Hey sleepyhead!!  Did you finally decide to grace us with your presence?"  Shawn asked mockingly.  Chris stood there like an idiot for a moment, trying to figure out what exactly was going on.

"Yeah, sure, whatever, Shawn."  Chris said, then went back to the puzzled look that he had before.  Dave and Hunter walked in at that moment, picking on each other.  All of them had extremely short hair.  Chris reached up and realized that his own golden locks were gone.

"I think that you're still asleep there bud, you look a little out of it."  Shawn said.  Dave and Hunter looked up to see what the heck Shawn was talking about.

"No, I'll be fine."

"Well you'd better hurry up, we leave for the base in about 40 minutes, you don't want to be late, do you?"  Shawn asked him.  Just then Stephanie walked in with the exact outfit that she had been wearing in Chris's "vision".  Chris sighed in confusion and went back into the room.

Chris was walking down a hallway that was unfamiliar to him.  His boots sounded so strange in this hollow and empty place.  His suitcase was still in his hand.  He peered into one of the windows, and saw nothing.   He continued down the hall and stopped at another window.  He peered inside and was astounded with what he was witnessing.

_There were two regular officers and a colonel in the office.  The two officers were holding a young woman's hand still while the colonel was taking the whip and beating the young woman's hand with it.  Chris stared on in shock.  All of a sudden he felt a hand on his back._

_"That girl there, she tried to run away.  There are different punishments for different things that happen here.  You'd do best not to get involved in any of them." A man said.  Chris found himself nodding and looking down.  "Are you a new recruit?"_

_"Yes sir." Chris said, looking at his hand and noticing for the first time that his wedding ring was missing._

_"Oh, you were in that group of folks that came in from Missouri, aren't you?"_

_"Yes." Chris said._

Chris shook his head.  What the hell was going on?  First he was a wrestler, now he was a soldier?  He knew that his father had served time in the military, but he never thought that he would.  Molly came running up behind him.

"You should tell Stephanie how you feel about her, because if you don't then Shawn's going to take her for himself."  She said, prancing into the room.  Chris was standing there, not even realizing that he was dressed, packed, and ready to go already.

"What are you talking about?"  Chris asked.  Molly gave him a look.

"Are you feeling okay, Chris?  I mean, you've only had a crush on Stephanie, since, oh, I don't know…….since the first time you saw her!!"  Chris stared at her.  Things were not making any sense.  They hadn't for a very long time.

Chris had a feeling that it wasn't going to get much clearer.

* * *

  


Please Review!!  I'm begging you!!


	35. Military Daze

Disclaimer: Still don't own any of the people used in this story.

A/N: Well, it's been a hectic week for me.  I found out that I'm going to get to go to a house show that Jericho is going to be at.  I've gotten and broken up with a boyfriend, and my body is ready to scream from P.E.  Anyways, don't be surprised if this chapter only gets wonkier than all of the others.  By the way, I don't know if anyone remembers, but when Chris opened the door and let Stephanie in while still thinking that she was dead, it says that she saw the noose hanging.  This is to kind of cement the fact that things change very quickly in this story, and that some greater power could be in effect?  Just thought I'd clear that up, well, sort of……….. Thanks to my loyal reviewer Jerikor, who has been reviewing for the past 3 chapters, where no one else has.  Thanks Jerikor!!  Anywho, on to the story!!

*~*~*~*~*

_Say hello to the night,_

_Lost in the shadows,_

_Say hello to the night,_

_Lost in the loneliness._

Chris sat on the train that was going to take him to the military base.  His head was swimming.  He had no clue what was going on still.  Shawn was sitting next to Stephanie and whispering in her ear.  Chris felt a pang of jealousy, but said nothing.  He would figure out what was going on, and then, he was going to get Stephanie and get as far away from everywhere as he could get.

"Hey Chris, you're not talking much, what's up?" Hunter asked him.  Chris looked down and studied his hands for a moment.  

"I'm not sure……I just……."  Chris trailed off as he stared at his hands and saw a scene play out in front of him.

"Oh my God………" Chris muttered as he re-read what he saw on the computer screen.  A siren sounded and he was soon being dragged by two huge men into a room.

_"What were you doing in that room, Chris?  What did you see?" a man asked him, from the shadows.  Chris thought that the voice sounded oddly familiar.  The person had obviously disguised it.  The words that he had seen on the screen flashed up in his mind again._

_"I'm not saying anything." Chris told them.  He knew that they were lying………lies………that's what they all were…………_

_"What did you see, Chris?"  the man asked again.  "Chris?"_

**"Chris!!"** Shawn yelled.  Chris looked up at him.

"What?" Chris asked.  Stephanie, Hunter, Shawn, Molly, and Dave were all staring at him.

"I asked why you weren't talking, and you started to answer.  Then your eyes glazed over and you started muttering to yourself."  Hunter said.  Dave looked at him.

"Man, what's wrong with you?  You haven't been yourself all day."  He said.  Chris nodded.

"I know I haven't." Chris said. The rest of the train ride went in silence.

When they arrived at the base, Chris was carrying his suitcase and following the rest of the group to the barracks.  He began to look in the windows of the various doors that were in the hallway.  On the third door, he saw two men standing behind a desk.  A young woman was sitting in the chair in front of the desk.  Chris didn't even have to see what was happening to know what was going on.  He turned around and kept walking, right past the man that would have told him that the girl was being punished for trying to run away.  

"Hurry up, Chris!" Molly yelled at him.  He began to follow her again.  He walked a little faster when he heard the echoes of the whip crack against the girl's hand.

Chris threw his suitcase down on the bed, and sat down next to it.  Shawn, Dave, and Hunter followed suit.  Dave claimed the bunk above Chris'.  Shawn was on the other bottom bunk and Hunter had the last top bunk in the room.

"Chris, are you ever gonna make a move with Stephanie?  If not, then I'm just going to move in on her."  Shawn said as he started to unpack his stuff.  Chris sat there for a moment, then began unpacking his own stuff without answering him.

"Hey, Chris, are you gonna move in on her, or what?  If not, I'm taking her for my own."  Shawn said.  Chris closed his eyes and sighed.

"Do what you want, Shawn."  Chris told him.  Shawn turned and patted him on the back.  

"Thanks a lot man, you know that I've been waiting for you to say that."  Shawn said.  Chris nodded.

"Yeah, I know."  Chris said, then went back to his unpacking.  He felt like he had a gaping hole in the middle of him.  A gaping hole that wasn't there before.  _"Chris………………I'm sorry……………"_ Chris looked around him suddenly, but his comrades were still merely unpacking their stuff.

Something was not right about this place.

Not right at all.

*~*~*~*~*

It wasn't as good as it should've been, but bear with me.  Please REVIEW!!!


	36. More Visions

Disclaimer:  Yup, you guessed it.  Still don't own a thing.

A/N:  Well, have you all missed me?  Thanks to all reviewers, and I know that there is more than just one!!  For those of you just reading and not reviewing, what's wrong with you?  Review!!!  Anyways, here is the next chapter!!

*~*~*~*~*

_Say hello to the night,_

_Lost in the shadows,_

_Say hello to the night,_

_Lost in the loneliness._

Chris was wandering around the complex, using up what little free time he had surveying the site.  He knew that this was the place from his vision/dream.  The visions and dreams that had become nightmares to him.   He wanted everything to be back to the way that it used to be.  He wanted to pinch himself and wake up in Stephanie's arms and have no knowledge of this place or of her death. 

He had a feeling that none of those things were going to happen though.

Chris wandered down to cafeteria to sneak a snack up to his room.  He was about to walk through the doors when he noticed two of his superior officers and a strange looking man that he had never seen before.  Chris backed away from the window in the door.  He knew that he shouldn't be doing this, but yet he was compelled to know what was going on.  Because whatever it was, Chris had a feeling it wasn't good.

Everyone was supposed to be outside working on their training and that **included** the two superior officers.  Chris had come down with what was said to be a "bit of a stomach bug."  He was allowed to take walks to still get some exercise, but other than that, they kept a pretty tight leash on everyone.

Chris peeked through the window again, and saw the officers shaking hands with the strange looking man.  The strange man had a scar on the right side of his face, and when he looked at one of the officers, Chris noticed that he had a glass eye as well.  Chris knew that he had seen that man before, but his head was beginning to swim and he knew another vision was on its way.

*

"Why do you try to resist?  Why do you try to remain silent, Chris?  That will never help you." Shawn asked him.  Chris was back outside in the rain and the mud again.

_"I'd rather be silent and tortured than to betray my country."  Chris said.  He felt the spiked whip crash against his back again._

_"We will see who betrayed their country." Shawn whispered to him.  Chris felt himself begin to fall.  Then he was aware of nothing more than the kicks from their boots and the crack of the whip.  The world around him faded out yet again, and suddenly he was back in the ring, getting beaten down by Hunter and his posse.  He felt Road Dogg and Billy Gunn holding him on his knees.  He looked up and saw Stephanie.  He wanted to jump up and hug her furiously, but before he could even debate about it, she slapped him across the face.  Chris fell to the ground.  He saw Hunter creeping up towards him with his sledgehammer.  He felt the sledgehammer against him and finally began to scream in pain……_

*

When Chris woke up again, he was in the infirmary again.  He must've blacked out really good.  He brought his hand up to move his hair out of his face and noticed that his wrist was covered by a cast.  He then tried to sit up, but two hands gently pushed him back down.  He looked over to see who was the nurse today.  He noticed that one of her hands was bandaged as well.  This girl was the girl from his previous vision who had tried to run away.  He turned his head a little more and finally saw her face.

It was Victoria.


	37. The Center Does Not Hold

Disclaimer:  I don't own any of these people, yada yada yada……..You all know the drill.

A/N:  Sorry for the lack of updates.  Things have been hectic and when I had the time, I was lazy and didn't want to.  However, this chapter still might not be the greatest since I am sick and kind of out of it - drugs tend to have that affect on people.  But, I am here nonetheless, so I will try my best to give you an awesome update.  Soooo……..here we go!

**ATTENTION ALL FOZZY FANS!**

There has been an update on the third release from Fozzy.  It will be entitled "All That Remains" and is scheduled to come out in August of this year.  It is going to have all 100% original Fozzy tracks on it.  If there are any new updates on this, I will let you know, until then, check out  www.fozzyrock.com and support the greatest heavy metal band of all time!!

Chris stared at Victoria for a while before finally registering that it actually was her.  The only thing that he couldn't figure out was how she could be here with him.  She was in the asylum with him, so how……….. And that was it right there. **Was** he ever really in the asylum, or was that all just a figment of his imagination?  Another one of his visions, perhaps?  Chris laid back down and examined her hand.  She noticed him doing so and moved it behind her back. "You've had quite an exciting day, Chris, is it?" she said to him. "Yes, my name's Chris." 

"Well, I must say that you have been busy getting into trouble and also getting yourself injured at the same time."  She said.  Chris began to look around the room.

"Why aren't there any other people in here?  I thought……"

"You got moved to the intensive care unit.  Sitting in the corner of a hallway, crying and screaming about people who aren't even there tends to get you moved here."  Victoria told him.  Chris moved his gaze away from her.  He closed his eyes and let his head sink farther into the pillow.

"Have my family been in here to see me?"  He asked, with his eyes still closed.

"Yes, they were here earlier, but they didn't seem to happy to see you.  They were talking about some kind of promotion." She said.  "I'm sorry, but I don't know what they got promoted to.  All of this lieutenant, sergeant, colonel b.s. just confuses the hell out of me." Chris smiled.  

"I'm just here to do my time and get it over with."  Victoria looked down at her hand.  Chris opened his eyes and noticed her doing so.  "Unfortunately, I always seem to be getting in trouble."  Chris's forehead wrinkled.  

"What happened to your hand?" he asked dumbly.  She looked at him.  Then she proceeded to take his temperature, without saying a word.  Chris continued on.  "You tried to run away didn't you?  They punished you, Milce and Grieg, right?"  Victoria tried to hide the shock on her face, but was failing horribly at it.

"H-How did you know that?" She whispered to him.

"Came to me in a vision.  When they found me in the hallway, I was in the middle of one.  I didn't even realize I was still here.  It was like-"

"Like this place here never existed, and you had a whole different life, right?" she asked him.  He stared at her.

"Yes, exactly like that.  How-"

"The same things happen to me.  That's why I tried to run away, I figured that they would just have me committed or something."  She said.  Something clicked inside Chris' brain.  Have them committed.  Such a strange way of putting it.  Maybe when they had met in the asylum, it **hadn't** been the first time they met.  Maybe they had both gone so crazy that they had both lost their memory of the other and made up some totally bullshit story to cover it.  Or maybe the story wasn't bullshit.  Maybe that had yet to happen.  Either way, Chris was pretty damn sure that he had figured out what he was doing before that asylum.

He'd been in this hell hole, seeing visions of things that didn't exist, just like before.

This whole time……..the whole thing………It was all a vicious cycle that would never end.  No matter what he did………

Unless…….

Unless he changed what he saw in the vision.

"Hello?  Earth to Chris?"  Victoria asked him.  Chris blinked and looked over at her.

"What?  What were you saying?" he asked.

"I said that there seems to be nothing else wrong with you, other than the fact that you're having visions.  Would you like to eat lunch with me?"  Chris nodded.

"Yeah, yeah.  Sure."  He scratched his head as she left to get the food.  He needed to change what he saw in the vision.  The way he figured the order was going to go was that he would do something or say something to get him in the whip predicament, be beaten within an inch of his life, then maybe the base would make up some bogus story about him being crazy and he would believe it and be shipped off, only to start the whole thing over again.

Something had to give.

"Things fall apart.  The center does not hold." He muttered to himself.  He had an idea on how to change the outcome that was almost certainly inevitable.  It was going to be much similar to what had happened the first time that he had tried to set things right.

Only this time, Victoria would be with him.

This time, something would fall apart.

It **had **to.


	38. Getting Back to the Real World

Disclaimer: I own no one!

A/N:  Well, again after 18 days of nothingness I return!!   Check out the story **"Someday"**, which just got updated!!  I hope that everyone had a Happy Easter!!  This chapter is, sadly, the last I will post for this story.  The story has reached its end and I am sure that not too many people will care if I end it.  Thanks to all who have stayed with it and bugged me to update.  It's been a blast!!  

_Say hello to the night,_

_Lost in the shadows,_

_Say hello to the night,_

_Lost in the loneliness._

Chris spent the next two weeks in the infirmary with absolutely no visits from his family.  He didn't mind much though.  He didn't really want to see them.  He hoped that Shawn and Stephanie were doing all right with their new relationship.  OK, so he really didn't, but he tried to pretend like he did.  Chris was enjoying getting to know Victoria better.  They had gone on walks around the base-together since Chris wasn't allowed to be alone anymore.

All the while, Chris was plotting his way out of here.

He had looked at the fence to see which side of the base would be the best to exit from, which parts of the fence were the weakest.  He was going to get Victoria to come with him and they were going to get out of here.  There was nothing left for him here but death.  He was almost certain of that.

The only small problem that he had with all of this was the way he was going to convince Victoria that they could escape.  She had tried it before and gotten caught. Obviously, she didn't want to go through that experience again.

"Chris?  Are you in there?"  Victoria asked, waving a hand in front of him.  He blinked a few times and looked over at her.  They had stopped next to the spot in the fence that he wanted to exit through.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here."  He said.  He ran a hand through his hair, which was already a couple inches long again.  He'd only been here about a month, and his hair was already growing back.  That was why he usually kept it long.  He couldn't notice that it was growing.

"What are you thinking about in that huge head of yours?" She asked him.  He sighed and looked through the fence.  He turned back to face her.

"I need to ask a big favor of you."  He started.  She started to give him a look, but he went on.

"I know that you've already tried this and failed, but I think that we need to get the hell out of here." Chris said.  "I want you to come with me.  We can escape together." Victoria was already shaking her head no.

"No way.  I'm not going to try it again and-" she leaned in closer to him and lowered her voice, "if they knew you were even thinking about it-we would both in some serious shit."

"But, I have it perfectly planned out.  Please.  There is nothing left here for you or me.  My family has deserted me and you said that you were just here to do the time and get out, right?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?" she asked him.  He grabbed her and made her face him.

"We can get out and disappear.  I want to do this with you, and I won't do it unless you're with me.  If you want to stay we'll stay, but I'm trying to tell you that we have a better chance at life out there!" He said, pointing past the fence.  Victoria sighed and looked at him.

"You're out of your mind." She said.

"Will you at least think about it?" he asked her.  She sighed again and looked around.

"I'll think about it, but don't expect me to say yes.  Don't guilt trip me into it either, okay?"

"I promise."  Chris said.  They both began to head back into the building for lunch.

~

Chris was lying on his bed, with his arm draped over his face, still waiting for an answer from Victoria.  He hoped that she was going to say yes.  He didn't want to leave her behind, but he didn't want to stay here either.  If she agreed to come along, it would make things much easier.  He heard the door open and he shot up.  

"Victoria, what's wrong?" he asked her.  She had slammed the door shut and was sitting on the floor, about to burst into tears.  She didn't respond, so he climbed off of the bed and went over to her.  He crouched down and she suddenly embraced him.

"I'll go with you."  She said.  He tightened his grip around her.  He felt her tears on his skin.

"Why?" he asked her.  She was silent for a moment, then she talked into his shoulder.

"Because you're right.  There's nothing left here for us." She said to him.  He hugged her for a while longer there on the floor, then he began to explain his plan.

~

"You sure that you want to do this?  You know what happens if we get caught-" Chris started.

"Yeah, and the trick to escaping is to not get caught."  Victoria said.  Chris smirked at her and grabbed her hand.

"We're gonna make it." He promised her.  They both began to quietly make their way across the fenced-in yard.  They walked to the end of the building where a sweeping spotlight was examining the lot.  They watched it for a few moments to pick up the pattern.

"You ready?" he asked her.  She nodded.  

"We go on three." He said.  "One……………two……………**three!**" They both began to sprint to the fence.  Unfortunately, there was an officer who was watching that side of the building and saw them.

"Hey!  You two!!  Halt!!" the officer shouted.

"We're screwed!" Victoria yelled.

"Not yet, we can make it!!  We can make it!!"  Chris screamed.  They were about 20 yards from the fence, when all of the lights in the compound suddenly flipped on.  By this time, there were four or five officers outside and in pursuit.

"Colonel, do we have permission to shoot?" the lieutenant asked.

"Yes.  Aim to kill."

"Yes sir." The lieutenant said.  He turned to his group.  It was Shawn.

"Shoot to kill." He told them.  Hunter, Dave, and Molly all nodded.  They raised their weapons.

"We're almost there, we can make it!! I swear we can!!" Chris shouted. A gunshot sounded through the night.  Chris reached the fence and looked back.

Victoria was lying face down on the ground with a bullet hole in her back.  Chris felt his heart sink.

"**Nooooooooooooo!!!!**" Chris screamed and ran back to her body.

"Stay where you are!!" Shawn bellowed through the megaphone.  Chris fell to his knees next to her.  He felt tears coming to his eyes.  Hunter, Dave and Molly all walked up to him with guns. 

"To your feet!"  Hunter bellowed.  Chris felt himself slowly stand up.  He realized that he had screwed up.  This was what was supposed to happen all along.  He had continued the pattern.

But not for much longer.

Chris grabbed Hunter and tried to punch him.  Dave raised his gun.  Chris punched Hunter in the jaw just before hearing a second gunshot.  His jaw dropped from surprise.  He fell to the ground and dragged his hand over his chest.  When he removed it, he knew what he was going to see before he saw it.

Blood.

He looked at all of the people he considered to be his family standing over him, watching him die and not trying to help.  Why should they?  It was one of them who had shot him after all.  Shot him in the back like a coward.  He felt the darkness calling him, just as Stephanie and Shawn stepped into view.

"_You shouldn't have tried to run Chris_." Shawn's voice floated through his head.  His name kept echoing within his head, until he saw nothing but black.

~*~

"Chris?" he heard someone ask.  He could see nothing but darkness still.  

"Chris." The voice repeated.  Chris was trying to open his eyes, but he was blinded by a bright light above him.

"He's waking up!" he heard someone say next to him.  There seemed to be a lot of commotion in the room, wherever he was.  He tried to open his eyes again, but still couldn't manage to get it done.

"-how he managed to pull through that, he suffered severe head trauma.  It's amazing that he has stayed alive for this long." Someone was saying.  

"Yes, yes, but he is awake!"  Another voice said.  Chris tried to open his eyes again and managed to get them a little open.

He saw that there were several people crowded around his bed.  He closed his eyes and re-opened them, a little more this time.  Crowded around his bed were Stephanie, Shawn, Hunter, Dave, Molly, some doctor, and finally……………

Victoria.

"What…………What happened?" he managed to ask.  Victoria leaned in to talk to him.

"You were in a car wreck, Chris.  Your car ran off the road, because you were trying to avoid hitting the other car that was on the wrong side of the road." She told him.  Chris made a few more blinks and looked at her groggily.

"Who was in the other car?" he asked.  Victoria looked at Stephanie.

"Stephanie and Hunter."

"Stephanie and Hunter?" he asked, utterly confused.

"Yeah, Hunter, your brother, married Stephanie about a week ago.  They were coming back from their honeymoon."  Chris felt his heart breaking all over again.  "Do you remember any of this, Chris?"

"A little.  My head hurts a lot."

"Well, that's to be expected, silly.  You about gave me a heart attack when I saw that it was you in the car instead of some stranger."  Victoria said.  "We're dating, do you remember that?"  Chris closed his eyes again.  Everything that he was hearing was starting to process.  This whole time………the whole time that he had been in all of these other "worlds" thinking that he was married to Stephanie………thinking that he was in the military. 

It was all wrong.

He really belonged here, in this time.  Severe head trauma, man, that just about spells it all out.

"Chris?" Molly asked.  Chris opened his eyes again.

"Do you remember anything about the wreck?  Anything about us?" she asked him.  He closed his eyes and nodded.

"OK, people, that's enough excitement for one day.  Let's let the poor man try and get a grip on reality again.  I only want one person in the room with him from now on, okay?  So, one of you stay, and the others need to leave."  The doctor said before ushering everyone else but Victoria out.

"Chris, do you even know where you are?"

"Yeah………I'm in a hospital.  As far as how long I've been here, I don't know."  He said to her.  He kind of smiled.  "You know what."

"What?" she asked him.

"I had the weirdest dream that I think I have ever had."

"Considering that you've been in a coma for about three weeks, and suffered severe head trauma with multiple blows to the head, I wouldn't doubt it."  She said, smiling at him.

"Remind me to tell you about it someday, if I remember it."

"I'll hold that to you."

"Good."  Chris said.  He closed his eyes again.  All of the aspects of his dream removed itself from his head and everything from the real world started flooding back in.  He heard Victoria go over to the other side of the room.

"Victoria?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"I don't know if I've said this recently, but I know that I probably haven't said it enough.  I love you."  He told her.  She smiled at him.

"That's the first time I've heard you say that."  He smirked at her.

"There's a first time for everything, you know." He said.

_~~~_

**_Say hello to the night_**

**_Lost in the shadows_**

**_Say hello to the night_**

**_Lost in the loneliness_**

**_Say hello to the night_**

**_Lost in the shadows_**

**_No one knows_**

**_I can't wait_**

**_I can't wait_**

**_No when I,_**

**_I see the lights_**

**_In the shadows_**

**_One must hide_**

**_When the sun gets higher_**

**_I don't know what this madness means_**

**_Come the night_**

**_Bedroom shadows_**

**_Candlelight,_**

**_I don't know where it's coming from_**

**_But I, I keep moving on_**

**_Till the darkest star makes me want to try these wings_**

**_Yeah, Yeah _**

**_Say hello to the night_**

**_Lost in the shadows_**

**_Say hello to the night_**

**_Lost in the loneliness_**

**_Say hello to the night_**

**_Lost in the shadows_**

**_No one knows_**

**_Loneliness pours over you_**

**_Emptiness,_**

**_Can pull you through_**

**_Do you sleep with the light on_**

**_I can't wait for this feeling to free me_**

**_Yeah, yeah!_**

**_Wind blows hard_**

**_It doesn't matter_**

**_Cause when the sun goes down_**

**_Nothing else matters_**

**_Lioness with the night light_**

**_I will wait outside her window tonight_**

**_Say hello to the night_**

**_Lost in the shadows_**

**_Say hello to the night_**

**_Lost in the loneliness_**

**_Say hello to the night_**

**_Lost in the shadows_**

**_No one knows_**

**_Say hello to the night_**

**_Lost Boys_**

**_Lost in the shadows_**

**_Say hello to the night_**

**_Lost in the loneliness_**

**_Say hello to the night_**

**_Lost in the shadows_**

**_No one knows_**

**_Loneliness pours over you_**

**_Emptiness can pull you through_**

**_Do you sleep with the light on_**

**_I can't wait for this feeling to free me_**

**_Say hello to the night_**

**_Lost Boys_**

**_Lost in the shadows_**

**_Say hello to the night_**

**_Lost Boys_**

**_Lost in the loneliness_**

**_Say hello say hello to the night_**

**_Lost Boys_**

**_Lost in the shadows_**

**_Say hello say hello to the night_**

**_Lost Boys_**

**_Lost in the loneliness_**

**_Say hello to the night_**

**_Lost Boys_**

**_Lost in the shadows_**

**_Say hello to the night_**

**_Lost Boys_**

**_Lost in the loneliness_**__

~~~

The End 


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